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The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife 


THE 

FINDING 

OF 

LOTS  WIFE 


BY 

ALFRED  CLARK 


^^^  Of  OTI^^ 

[TJiriVBRSITrl 


ev 


•Wew  l!?orft  anb  lon^on 

Frederick  A*  Stokes  Company 

PUBLISHERS  ^-  w  /  -T 


Copyright,  t896 
By  Frederick  A^  Stokes  G)mpany 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter 

L  A  Strangle  Legend 
n»  In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness 
m.  The  Sheikh's  Daughter 
IV*  The  Beni  Azaleh 
V.  A  Disappointing;  Discovery 
VL  The  Professor     ♦ 
Vn*  The  Monastery  of  SU  Lot 
Vm.  Isha  Payne 
IX»  AJudas  •  • 

X«  Selim        •  « 

XI*  The  Attack  on  the  Monastery 
Xn*  A  Young  Martyr 
XIII*  Brother  Manon's  Experiences 
XIV.  Prisoners  ♦ 

XV.  The  Valley  of  Madness. 

XVI.  Ay^da's  Devotion  .    , 
XVIL  Lot's  Wife 

XVIII.  The  Pass  of  Many  Voices 
XIX.  A  Miracle 


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Q^  Bo6j2:^ 


The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife 


CHAPTER  L 
A  Strangle  Legfend. 

A  PARTY  of  travelers  was  slowly  and  wearily 
making  its  way  along  a  steep  and  stony  wadi,  or 
valley,  among  wild,  arid  mountains  in  South- 
eastern Palestine. 

It  was  a  desolate  scene.  Precipitous  red  cliffs, 
streaked  with  dull  yellow  and  brown  strata,  shut 
in  the  valley  on  two  sides,  and  beyond  them  rose 
bare,  barren  hills,  glowing  in  the  afternoon  sun- 
light. Great  boulders,  bleached  by  centuries  of 
exposure  to  the  weather,  lay  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliffs,  while  the  whole  wadi  was  strewn  with 
masses  of  gray  stone  like  the  refuse  of  a  foundry. 
The  ground  was  channeled  and  fissured  as  if  by 
the  action  of  water  ;  but  there  was  no  other  indi- 
cation that  rain  ever  fell  there.  The  only  vege- 
tation to  be  seen  was  one  or  two  prickly  pears 
growing  in  the  crevices  of  the  cliffs,  and  a  few 
stunted,   half-dead   juniper   bushes.     The   land- 


6  The  Findings  of  Lot's  Wife» 

scape  was  quivering,  in  the  hot,  hazy  air  ;  and 
every  sound,  however  slight,  even  the  fall  of 
crumbling  earth  high  up  the  face  of  the  cliffs, 
was  distinctly  audible.  Human  beings  appeared 
out  of  place  in  such  a  spot,  which  was  more  fitted 
to  be  the  undisturbed  home  of  the  gray  hyena, 
the  bald  vulture,  and  the  deadly  horned  cerastes. 

The  travelers  were  two  young  Englishmen, 
attended  by  a  dragoman  and  a  cook,  and  accom- 
panied by  an  escort  of  armed  Arabs.  The  elder 
of  the  two  men  was  Hal  Aylward,  of  Lang- 
holme  Hall,  in  Berkshire — a  tall,  broad-shouldered 
young  man,  whose  blue  eyes,  light  curly  hair,  and 
drooping  flaxen  moustache  showed  his  Saxon 
ancestry.  He  was  not  exactly  good-looking ;  but 
the  expression  of  his  face,  that  of  an  honest, 
true-hearted  man,  was  very  pleasant.  A  sort  of 
good-humored  nonchalance  and  an  intelligent 
taciturnity  were  characteristic  of  him  ;  but  he 
could  be  quick  enough,  both  with  hands  and 
tongue,  when  there  was  occasion. 

Some  six  months  before  he  had  inherited  a 
fine  property  through  the  death  of  an  uncle,  one 
of  his  few  surviving  relatives.  He  at  once  re- 
signed the  commission  he  held  in  the  army,  and, 
after  all  business  matters  in  connection  with  the 
estate  left  to  him  had  been  satisfactorily  settled, 
gratified  a  long-felt  wish  and  started  on  a  visit  to 
the  East.  Not  caring  to  travel  alone,  he  asked 
a  friend,  a  man  he  had  known  from  boyhood,  to 


A  Strangle  Legend*  7 

accompany  him — an  invitation  which,  to  his 
great  pleasure,  was  at  once  accepted. 

Noel  Yorke,  his  friend,  was  an  artist  by  pro- 
fession, and,  though  quite  a  young  man,  had 
already  made  a  name  for  himself  as  a  painter  of 
Eastern  scenes  and  life.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  had  spent  every  winter  in  Egypt,  where  he 
had  learned  to  speak  Arabic  fluently,  and  had 
made  himself  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
home-life  and  modes  of  thought  of  the  natives. 
He  was  slight  in  build,  but  was  very  good-look- 
ing, with  clear-cut  features  and  dark  eyes.  He 
had  a  small  moustache,  the  ends  of  which  he  had 
a  trick  of  continually  twisting,  and  he  wore  an 
eye-glass.  Being  an  amusing  talker  and  of  a 
light-hearted,  easily-pleased  disposition,  Aylward 
found  him  an  excellent  companion,  and  the 
friendship  between  the  two  men  deepened  every 
day. 

There  being  no  occasion  for  hurry,  the  two 
friends  traveled  very  leisurely.  After  spending 
some  three  months  in  Algeria,  they  visited 
Morocco  and  Tunis,  going  on  for  the  winter  to 
Egypt,  where  they  remained  a  long  time.  Ayl- 
ward sauntered  about,  visiting  places  of  interest 
and  doing  a  little  shooting  when  he  got  the 
opportunity,  while  Yorke  sketched  assiduously. 
He  was  engaged  on  a  series  of  types  of  Eastern 
beauty,  a  task  beset  with  many  difficulties. 
More  than  once  he  got  himself  into  trouble  by 


8  The  Finding  of  Lof s  Wife* 

ill-advised  attempts  to  portray  the  features  of 
veiled  brown  maidens  whom  he  met. 

About  a  year  after  they  had  left  England,  the 
two  men  drifted  over  to  Palestine.  They  had 
journeyed  to  Damascus,  climbed  Lebanon,  and 
inspected  nearly  all  the  sacred  places,  traveling 
just  as  the  humor  seized  them  day  by  day,  and 
were  returning  from  a  visit  to  the  Dead  Sea, 
when  something  happened  which  cut  short  their 
tour  and  greatly  affected  their  after-lives. 

During  a  visit  to  the  famous  cliff-monastery  of 
Mar  Saba  they  were  told  by  the  monks  there  of 
a  belief  current  among  them  that,  in  the  moun- 
tains to  the  south-east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  there 
existed  an  extraordinary  community  of  ancho- 
rites, whose  monastery  was.  perched  on  an  inac- 
cessible pinnacle  of  rock  in  a  lonely  valley.  It 
was  affirmed,  however,  that  no  human  being 
unconnected  with  this  wonderful  retreat  had 
ever  seen  it  or  knew  the  way  there. 

This  curious  legend  so  deeply  interested  Noel 
Yorke  that  he  made  further  inquiries  about  it. 
He  found  that  not  only  the  monks  of  Mar  Saba, 
but  all  the  Arabs  of  the  neighborhood  had  heard 
of  this  strange  place,  and  believed  firmly  in  its 
existence.  They  all  spoke  of  it  as  the  Monastery 
of  Mar  Lood  or  St.  Lot.  The  inmates  of  it  were 
supposed  to  have  become  more  than  human 
through  their  pious  austerities,  and  to  have 
attained  immunity  from  death  or  disease.     They 


A  Strange  Legend.  9 

were  said  to  have  long  white  hair  and  beards, 
and  their  bodies  to  be  covered  with  gray  fur  in 
place  of  clothes,  also  to  have  lost  the  power  of 
speech  through  protracted  observance  of  their 
vows  of  silence.  Their  food  was  believed  to  be 
brought  to  them  by  ravens,  and  the  water  they 
drank  to  be  provided  by  a  miraculous  dew  that 
fell  every  night.  These  naked,  speechless  monks 
and  their  ministering  ravens  were  reputed  to  be 
the  only  living  things  in  the  desolate  valley  over- 
looked by  the  monastic  eyrie.  Countless  evil 
spirits,  however,  were  said  to  haunt  the  moun- 
tains round,  who  were  always  seeking  to  gain 
entrance  to  the  monastery,  but  were  kept  out  by 
the  sound  of  a  sacred  bell  tolled  continually  by 
the  monks. 

The  vivid  imagination  of  the  artist  was  so  fired 
by  this  weird  legend  that,  after  talking  about  it 
for  several  days,  the  insane  idea,  as  his  friend  did 
not  hesitate  to  term  it,  suggested  itself  to  him 
that  they  should  go  in  search  of  the  Monastery 
of  St.  Lot !  He  explained  to  Aylward  that  he 
did  not  suppose  that  any  such  place  existed  as 
that  described  by  the  monks,  peopled  by  nude, 
voiceless  eremites,  centuries  old  and  fed  by 
ravens,  but  that  he  thought  it  possible  that  there 
was  some  foundation  for  the  legend,  and  hoped 
that  they  might  find  something  extraordinary 
and  worth  seeing.  Alyward  did  not  share,  in 
the  least,  his  friend's  interest  in   the  matter,  or 


lo  The  Findings  of  Lot's  Wife. 

expect  that  they  would  discover  anything  worth 
the  trouble  of  the  journey  ;  but,  on  being  asked 
by  Yorke  whether  he  would  accompany  him, 
cheerfully  consented  to  do  so,  hoping  to  get 
some  sport  among  the  unfrequented  mountains 
they  intended  to  explore. 

The  two  men  soon  found  that  there  were 
formidable  difficulties  in  the  way  of  their  pro- 
posed expedition.  On  learning  the  object  of  the 
journey,  all  their  servants  and  followers,  with 
the  exception  of  two,  positively  refused  to  go 
with  them,  being  filled  with  superstitious  fears. 
Their  dragoman  Georgis  and  their  cook  Hanna, 
both  Syrian  Christians,  consented  to  accompany 
them,  after  much  persuasion  and  on  promise  of 
double  pay.  But  the  greatest  trouble  they  had 
was  with  the  Arabs,  of  whom  it  was  necessary  to 
take  a  number  as  guides  and  as  a  guard  against 
robbers.  There  was  an  encampment  of  Jehaleh 
Arabs  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mar  Saba,  and 
negotiations  were  opened  with  the  sheikh  for  an 
escort.  Yorke,  attended  by  the  dragoman,  had 
several  wearisome  interviews  with  him,  and 
listened  with  ill-concealed  impatience  while  the 
wily  old  savage  magnified  the  dangers  to  be  met 
with  in  the  mountains,  and  demanded  fabulous 
sums  for  the  services  of  his  ragged  followers.  At 
length  the  eloquence  of  the  dragoman  prevailed 
and  a  bargain  was  struck.  The  sheikh  was  to 
furnish,  for  the  sum  of  ten  Turkish  pounds  and  a 


A  Strange  Legend.  ii 

bakshish,  six  men  mounted  and  armed  and  led  by 
his  nephew,  an  evil-looking  and  evil-smelling 
ruffian,  to  serve  as  an  escort  for  a  stipulated 
period  of  ten  days.  He  persisted  in  adding  a 
proviso,  that  should  his  men  come  across  any- 
thing which  was,  in  their  opinion,  uncanny,  they 
were  to  be  at  liberty  to  turn  back  at  once,  and 
to  this  Yorke  was  forced  to  consent.  After  the 
usual  irritating  delays  and  false  excuses  on  the 
part  of  the  Jehaleh,  the  expedition  started. 

Aylward  had  bought  at  Jerusalem  for  the  trip 
to  the  Dead  Sea  a  number  of  country-bred  horses 
and  riding  and  baggage  donkeys.  Of  these  he 
and  Yorke  selected  for  their  own  use  a  pair  of 
good-looking  Syrian  stallions,  and  gave  the 
dragoman  and  the  cook  a  stout  riding  donkey 
each.  Half-a-dozen  other  donkeys  were  laden 
with  a  small  tent,  carpets  and  pillows,  saddle- 
bags containing  clothes,  crates  of  provisions  and 
cooking  utensils.  They  were  driven  by  a  couple 
of  Arab  boys,  each  clad  in  a  single  ragged  and 
filthy  garment,  and  a  skull-cap  apparently  glued 
to  his  shaven  skull  with  dirt.  The  Jehaleh  escort 
rode  in  front  on  their  wiry,  bony  mares,  armed  to 
the  teeth,  a  picturesque  troop  of  rascals. 


CHAPTER  n. 
In  Perils  of  the  "Wilderness^ 

At  the  end  of  the  third  day  the  travelers 
found  themselves  among  bare,  waterless  moun- 
tains far  from  any  known  human  habitation. 

By  this  time  the  toilsome  stony  way,  the 
scanty  fodder  and  water,  and  the  excessive  heat 
had  so  told  on  the  Syrian  horses,  which  were 
unaccustomed  to  fatigue  and  privation,  that  they 
became  too  exhausted  to  be  ridden,  and  Aylward 
and  Yorke  were  forced  to  dismount  and  lead 
them.  The  condition  of  the  riding  donkeys  was 
almost  as  bad,  but  neither  the  dragoman  nor  the 
cook  saw  the  least  necessity  for  walking  so  long 
as  the  poor  beasts  under  them  could  stagger 
along.  The  former  was  a  very  stout  man,  and 
the  miserable  donkey  whose  hind  quarters  he 
bestrode  could  scarcely  support  his  weight.  The 
cook's  steed  was  more  fortunate,  for  its  rider 
was  a  wizened,  little  old  man. 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  13 

"  May  God  curse  the  father  of  this  donkey!  " 
exclaimed  the  dragoman  in  Arabic  wrathfully, 
when  the  wretched  creature,  unable  to  move 
another  step,  stopped  with  outstretched  feet 
and  quivering  flanks.  The  figure  presented  by  the 
obese  rider  was  a  ludicrous  one.  His  fat  legs, 
clad  in  baggy  blue  trousers,  hung  like  bolsters 
on  each  side  of  the  saddle.  The  heels  of  the  red 
slippers,  balanced  on  his  bare  toes,  nearly 
touched  the  ground.  His  tightly-fitting  and 
much-embroidered  jacket  seemed  about  to  burst, 
and  his  fez  cap,  bound  round  with  a  yellow  silk 
handkerchief,  about  to  fall  off  as  he  gave  vent  to 
his  indignation. 

"Will  you  not  go  on,  O  bundle  of  obstinacy? 
Must  I  weary  myself  beating  the  hair  off  your 
hide,  O  animal  sunk  in  sloth  ? "  he  cried,  bela- 
boring the  donkey  furiously  with  a  heavy  koor- 
batch  or  cowhide  whip  that  he  carried. 

"  Hold  hard,  Georgis !  Don't  thrash  the 
poor  little  brute  like  that ! "  shouted  Aylward, 
who  had  turned  on  hearing  the  sound  of  the 
blows. 

"  Get  off  and  walk,  you  lazy  beggar  !  Don't 
you  see  that  the  wretched  brute  is  too  done  up 
to  carry  you  any  further  ?  "  added  Yorke,  indig- 
nantly. 

Slowly  and  grumblingly  the  dragoman  did  as 
he  was  ordered,  sliding  off  over  the  donkey's 
tail. 


14  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  Please  God,  I  shall  see  the  vultures  picking 
out  your  eyes  before  lorig,  O  pig  of  a  donkey !  " 
he  muttered  viciously.  Dragging  the  worn-out 
but  patient  brute  by  the  bridle  and  giving  it  a 
cruel  back-cut  with  his  whip  from  time  to  time, 
he  followed  the  rest  of  the  party  sulkily.  He 
found  some  satisfaction  to  his  wounded  feelings 
in  roughly  ordering  the  cook  to  dismount,  which 
the  old  man  did,  muttering  resentfully. 

"  I  t'ink  t'ese  Arab  raskils  not  know  where  t'ey 
going !  **  exclaimed  the  dragoman  in  English,  on 
coming  up  with  his  masters. 

"  That  has  been  pretty  evident  for  some  time," 
observed  Aylward  quietly. 

"  I  heard  them  say  just  now  that  they  expected 
to  find  water  under  the  cliffs  at  the  end  of  the 
wadi,"  remarked  Yorke. 

"  I  hope  to  heaven  that  they  will,  for  these 
poor  brutes  won't  be  able  to  hold  out  much 
longer !  "  returned  Aylward. 

At  this  moment  the  Jehaleh,  who  were  riding 
some  twenty  paces  in  front,  simultaneously 
drew  rein  and  sat  staring  at  'something  that 
had  unexpectedly  come  into  view.  Following 
their  gaze,  the  two  Europeans  saw  a  sight  which 
filled  them  with  surprise  and  some  alarm.  On 
the  crest  of  some  rising  ground,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant,  appeared  a  score  or  more  of 
horsemen  armed  with  long  tufted  lances.  They 
had  shown    themselves   so   suddenly   that   they 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  15 

seemed  almost  to  have  sprung  from  the  ground. 
On  catching  sight  of  the  two  white  men  and  the 
armed  party  with  them  the  strangers  halted 
abruptly,  and  sat  motionless  as  equestrian  statues, 
looking  towards  them.  The  Jehaleh  were  obvi- 
ously greatly  terrified  at  the  sight. 

"  By  God  !  who  are  these  ?  "  exclaimed  their 
leader  anxiously.  ''They  must  be  jin,  for  no 
human  beings  live  in  these  mountains!" 

"  You  talk  folly.  They  are  Bedawin  like  your- 
selves. One  of  you  ride  forward  and  greet 
them,"  ordered  Yorke ;  but  not  a  man  of  the  es- 
cort seem  disposed  to  obey  him. 

"  Let  us  ride  off !  Please  God,  they  will  not 
follow  us.  Even  if  they  are  but  men  and  not  jin, 
we  cannot  face  them,  for  they  number  a  score,  at 
least,  of  lances  and  have  guns  !  "  cried  the  leader 
of  the  escort  to  his  followers. 

At  that  moment  the  strangers,  who  had  been 
consulting  together,  began  to  advance  towards 
them  at  a  walk.  The  Jehaleh  at  once  wheeled 
their  mares'  heads  round  and  galloped  off,  fol- 
lowed by  the  two  donkey  boys,  running  like 
hares.  The  dragoman  would  fain  have  fled,  but 
he  was  too  fat  to  run,  and  his  donkey  had  taken 
the  opportunity  of  the  halt  to  lie  down.  The  old 
cook  wrung  his  hands  and  cried  out,  in  his 
native  tongue,  in  his  fear: 

"  Wah !   wah !    they   are   harami.*     They   will 

*  Robbers. 


1 6  The  Finding  of  Lot's  "Wife^ 

spit  us  on  their  spears  like  quails  on  skewers. 
Let  us  run !  let  us  run  !  " 

"  Worse  !  worse  !  "  groaned  the  dragoman,  quak- 
ing. "  They  are  savage  Arabs  from  the  Great 
Desert !  Look  at  their  long  'abaiyehs  and  black 
camel's-hair  akals — and  they  have  their  faces 
hidden  in  their  keffiehs — they  intend  us  evil ! 
Ya  Allah !     We  shall  all  have  our  throats  cut !  " 

The  dragoman  spoke  in  Arabic  in  his  excite- 
ment and  terror.  Yorke  translated  what  he  had 
said  to  his  friend,  and  the  two  men  at  once  pre- 
pared for  defence.  They  hastily  capped  their  re- 
volvers, the  chambers  of  which  were  charged, 
and  began  to  load  their  rifles.  Meanwhile,  the 
strangers  had  come  within  two  hundred  paces, 
and  had  again  halted  on  seeing  the  preparations 
being  made  for  their  reception.  After  a  few 
moments'  hesitation  their  leader  rode  out  alone 
till  he  was  within  easy  speaking  distance.  He 
was  a  very  swarthy  sinister-looking  man,  with  thin 
hard  features,  hook  nose,  and  close-set  hawk-like 
eyes.  He  carried  a  long-barreled  gun,  the 
sickle-shaped  stock  of  which  was  encrusted  with 
mother-o'-pearl.  At  his  side  hung  a  crooked 
ram's  horn  powder-flask,  and  in  his  belt  was  stuck 
a  couple  of  flint-lock  pistols  and  a  khanjar  or 
double-edged  knife.  He  was  riding  a  lean  but 
handsome  mare,  and  his  graceful  flowing  robe, 
curious  rope  head-dress,  and  antique  weapons 
made  him  a  picturesque  figure. 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  17 

"  Who  are  you,  O  men  ? "  he  demanded  in  a 
harsh  voice. 

"■  Go  forward  and  speak  to  the  fellow,  Georgis !  " 
ordered  Yorke. 

The  dragoman  did  as  he  was  directed,  but  evi- 
dently thought  he  was  going  to  his  death.  He 
had  armed  himself  with  a  dabus,  or  Arab  club, 
dropped  by  one  of  the  Jehaleh,  but  it  shook  so  in 
his  grasp  that  it  seemed  about  to  fall  from  his 
hand. 

"  O  Arab,  son  of  an  Arab  ! "  he  began  in  Arabic, 
in  quivering  tones,  when  he  had  advanced  a  few 
paces  towards  the  strangers,  "  these  Franks  whom 
you  see  are  two  English  milords  who  are  trav- 
eling for  pleasure ! " 

"  From  whence  have  you  come,  and  whither 
are  you  going?" 

"  We  come  from  El  Khoddes  (Jerusalem),  but 
where  we  are  going  God  only  knows  !  Who  can 
tell  what  mad  Englishmen  will  do  or  where  they 
will  go?"  replied  the  dragoman,  forgetting  in  his 
trepidation  that  one  of  his  masters  understood 
what  he  was  saying. 

"  But  what  has  brought  them  here,  where  there  is 
nothing  to  be  seen  ?  "  asked  the  Arab  suspiciously. 

"  They  heard  some  lying  stories  about  a  won- 
derful Christian  monastery  somewhere  in  these 
mountains,  and  are  come  to  look  for  it." 

The  Arab  seemed  much  struck  by  this  informa- 
tion. 

(uiri7IESlf  yj 


i8  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

"  By  God !  is  that  so?"  he  observed  thought- 
fully, directing  a  searching  glance  at  Aylward 
and  Yorke.  After  a  short  pause  he  asked,  ''  Who 
were  the  men  who  fled  at  our  approach  ?  " 

"They  were  Jehaleh  from  the  Saba  whom  my 
masters  had  engaged  to  protect  them  on  the  jour- 
ney. May  the  hyenas  crack  their  bones,  the 
cowardly  dogs ! " 

"  Where  do  you  intend  to  camp  to-night  ?  " 

"  We  were  looking  for  a  suitable  spot  when 
you  rode  up,   O  Sheikh,  but  could  find  no  water." 

The  Arab  did  not  reply,  but,  turning,  rode  back 
to  his  companions,  with  whom  he  held  a  short 
consultation,  after  which  he  returned  to  where 
the  travelers  stood  and  said  ungraciously,  though 
his  words  were  friendly  enough : 

"  If  the  noble  ones,  your  masters,  will  honor 
the  poor  camp  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  with  a  visit, 
they  will  be  welcome.  Our  tents  are  pitched 
under  that  cliff  yonder,  where  there  is  water." 
He  pointed  with  his  lance  up  the  wadi  to  a  spot 
about  half  a  mile  distant. 

"  Thank  him  for  his  invitation,  Georgis,  and 
tell  him  that  we  accept  his  hospitality  heartily," 
said  Yorke,  which  the  dragoman  did. 

Before  starting  for  the  Beni  Azaleh  camp, 
Aylward  and  Yorke  looked  round  anxiously,  hop- 
ing to  find  that  their  escort  had  halted  on  seeing 
that  they  had  not  been  followed,  but  the  Jehaleh 
had  galloped  out  of   sight,  and  the  donkey  boys 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  19 

had  also  disappeared.  As  they  had  but  a  short 
distance  to  go,  the  two  EngHshmen  continued 
the  journey  on  foot,  leading  their  horses,  followed 
by  the  dragoman  and  cook  dragging  along  their 
worn-out  steeds.  Most  of  the  Arabs  rode  in 
front,  while  two  or  three  followed,  driving  the 
baggage  donkeys  before  them  with  the  butts  of 
their  lances.  The  dragoman's  alarm  had  not 
subsided.  As  they  went  along  he  confided  his 
fears  to  his  masters,  representing  the  Beni  Azaleh 
to  be  the  most  cruel,  rapacious,  and  treacherous 
of  all  the  desert  marauders. 

'*  T'ey  t'ink  the  blood  of  Franks  too  good  medi- 
cine for  t'eir  women  when  t'ey  are  seek ! "  he 
whispered  in  a  tone  of  horror. 

Both  Aylward  and  Yorke  were,  however,  rather 
favorably  impressed  by  the  appearance  and  bear- 
ing of  the  horsemen.  Though  they  saw  no 
reason  to  suspect  them  of  treachery,  they  never- 
theless kept  their  weapons  ready  to  hand  in  case 
of  sudden  attack.  On  nearing  the  camp  several 
of  the  Arabs  spurred  their  mares  with  the  sharp 
edges  of  their  stirrups,  and  rode  off  to  give  notice 
of  the  coming  of  the  strangers.  Others  galloped 
about  making  their  steeds  to  pirouette,  and 
brandishing  their  long,  quivering  lances  till  they 
bent  nearly  double.  On  coming  in  sight  of  the 
tents,  the  dragoman  urged  his  masters  to  mount 
their  horses. 

''Mustn't  walk   to  Arab   people*s   camp — too 


2Q  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife, 

much  shame.  T*ey  will  t'ink  my  masters  com- 
mon fellows,"  he  explained. 

Seeing  this  to  be  good  advice,  Aylward  and 
Yorke  rode  their  tired  horses  the  short  distance 
they  had  still  to  go,  and  the  dragoman  and  cook 
also  mounted  their  donkeys.  It  was  in  "  honor- 
able fashion,"  as  the  dragoman  said,  that  they 
entered  the  Beni  Azaleh  camp. 

It  consisted  of  about  threescore  black  camel- 
hair  tents,  hidden  from  view  in  a  hollow  under  a 
high  cliff.  They  were  grouped  round  a  shallow 
well  in  a  cleft  on  the  rocky  ground.  A  solitary 
wild  date  palm,  laden  with  dead  branches,  stood 
beside  it,  the  only  tree  for  miles.  A  thick 
deposit  of  animal-droppings  lay  all  round.  Num- 
erous camels,  many  with  heads  decorated  with 
woolen  ornaments,  were  picketed  on  the  open 
places  of  the  camp.  At  the  doors  of  many  of 
the  tents  were  tethered  mares  of  excellent  breed, 
though  rough-coated  and  in  poor  condition,  some 
of  which  had  foals  suckling  them.  A  number  of 
miserable  donkeys,  cruelly  hobbled  to  prevent 
them  from  straying,  were  limping  about  the 
camp. 

The  news  of  the  coming  of  the  travelers  had 
spread,  and  everyone  in  the  camp  had  hurried  out 
to  see  them :  swarthy  bearded  men ;  old  hags 
with  faces  begrimed  with  the  dust  of  years ; 
married  women  in  bright-colored  but  filthy 
clothes,  accompanied   by   naked  unwashed  chil- 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  21 

dren,  also  graceful  girls  laden  with  tawdry  finery. 
None  of  the  women  and  girls  wore  face-veils, 
and  many  had  blue  tattooed  foreheads  and  lips. 

The  tent  of  the  sheikh  stood  near  the  well.  It 
was  larger  than  any  of  the  others,  and  a  long, 
handsome  lance  tufted  with  ostrich  feathers  was 
stuck  in  the  ground  in  front  of  it.  The  leader 
of  the  party  of  horsemen  conducted  their  guests 
to  the  door  of  the  tent,  and,  springing  off  his 
mare,  invited  them  to  enter.  Aylward  was 
about  to  step  in,  revolver  in  hand,  when  the 
dragoman  interposed. 

"  Master,  please  not  take  pistol  into  tent, 
Arabs  will  be  angry,"  he  whispered  warningly. 
Aylward  thereupon  thrust  the  revolver  into  the 
holster  of  his  saddle,  and  then  entered  the  tent, 
followed  by  Yorke,  also  unarmed.  Both  men  felt 
that  their  weapons  would  be  of  little  avail  to  save 
them  if  the  Arabs  treacherously  attacked  them, 
and  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  feign  the 
confidence  they  did  not  feel. 

The  tent  was  capacious,  but  very  bare  of  fur- 
niture. In  it  some  twenty  men  were  assembled 
to  receive  the  guests  of  the  tribe.  On  a  thread- 
bare carpet  on  the  floor,  in  the  place  of  honor, 
sat  an  old  man,  very  much  lighter  in  complexion 
than  Arabs  usually  are,  with  fine  features  and  a 
long  beard  streaked  with  gray.  There  was  a  va- 
cant expression  on  his  face  and  a  troubled  look 
in  his  eyes,  which  struck  both  Aylward  and  Yorke 


22  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wiic 

as  strange  on  seeing  him.  He  did  not  speak  or 
make  any  gesture  of  welcome  as  they  entered 
the  tent.  From  the  silent  respect  shown  to  him 
by  all  present,  it  was  evident  that  he  was  the 
sheikh.  Beside  him  sat  another  old  man,  whose 
dress  showed  him  to  be  a  mullah  or  Mohamme- 
dan priest.  His  green  robe  and  turban  indicated 
that  he  was  a  hadji,  one  who  had  made  the 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  He  had  a  forbidding 
wrinkled  face,  rheumy  but  austere  eyes  under 
overhanging  bristly  eyebrows,  and  a  thin,  gray 
beard.  He  looked  what  he  was,  the  embodiment 
of  fierce  fanaticism.  As  the  two  Englishmen 
came  in  he  eyed  them  keenly,  but  without  curi- 
osity. A  number  of  tribesmen  stood  round, 
also  several  negroes.  One  of  the  latter  was  a 
huge,  Caliban-like  creature  whose  hideous  black 
features,  pitted  by  small-pox,  were  more  like  an 
exaggerated  mask  representing  the  brute  pas- 
sions than  a  human  face. 

On  entering  the  tent,  Yorke  exclaimed  in  Ara- 
bic :  "  Peace  be  to  you  !  "  To  which  the  mullah 
replied  coldly,  with  a  grave  inclination  of  his 
head,  but  without  rising,  "  On  you  be  peace !  ** 
and  all  the  Arabs  present  repeated  the  saluta- 
tion. A  couple  of  camel  saddles  were  brought 
forward  by  a  negro,  and  Aylward  and  Yorke 
seated  themselves  on  them,  with  the  dragoman 
standing  beside  them.  After  a  few  moments* 
silence,    the   mullah    asked   in    grave,   measured 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness.  23 

tones,  whom  the  Beni  Azaleh  had  the  honor  to 
receive  in  their  camp.  The  dragoman,  indicating 
Aylward  with  a  respectful  gesture,  said  that  he 
was  a  great  English  milord  of  vast  wealth,  who 
was  traveling  for  pleasure. 

"  Good  !  good !  he  is  welcome  !  "  responded 
the  mullah,  and  then  asked  who  Yorke  was. 
The  dragoman  replied  that  he  was  a  great  friend 
of  the  milord,  and  that  he  accompanied  him  in 
order  to  paint  pictures  of  the  places  they  visited 
and  of  the  people  they  met. 

"  Praise  to  the  Prophet !  "  ejaculated  the  mul- 
lah disapprovingly,  for  to  depict  any  created 
thing,  and  especially  the  human  form  or  face,  is 
contrary  to  Moslem  tenets,  as  savoring  of  idola- 
try. He  then  asked  what  had  brought  the  Eng- 
lish gentlemen  to  the  mountains. 

The  dragoman  repeated  what  he  had  told  the 
leader  of  the  party  of  horsemen  they  had  en- 
countered. His  announcement  of  the  object  of 
the  journey  his  masters  had  undertaken  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  long  silence.  On  hearing  his  state- 
ment most  of  the  Arabs  gazed  suspiciously  at  the 
Englishmen,  others  glanced  at  each  other  mean- 
ingly, and  one  or  two  whispered  together.  The 
mullah  sat  fingering  his  rosary,  with  his  eyes  on 
the  ground,  as  if  he  had  heard  nothing. 

"Ask  them  if  they  know  anything  of  the 
Monastery  of  Mar  Lood,  Georgis,"  said  Yorke, 
noticing  the  effect  on  the  Arabs  of  the  dragoman's 


24  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

statement.  The  man  did  as  he  was  ordered, 
addressing  the  question  to  the  mullah,  but  the 
old  man  did  not  reply.  The  sun  was  now  set- 
ting, and  it  was  the  hour  of  prayer.  Rising  with 
much  solemnity  and  with  a  sanctimonious  ex- 
pression of  face,  the  mullah  began  his  orisons, 
sometimes  standing  with  his  hands  folded  on  his 
breast  or  clasped  above  his  head,  at  other  times 
kneeling  and  bowing  continually  with  his  face  to 
the  ground.  Several  of  the  Arabs  present  fol- 
lowed his  example,  imitating  his  genuflexions, 
but  it  was  obvious  that  prayer  was  not  an  every- 
day exercise  with  them.  When  the  performance, 
which  lasted  some  minutes,  was  over,  Yorke 
ordered  the  dragoman  to  repeat  his  question. 

"  We  do  not  know  of  any  such  Christian  mon- 
astery. No  one  lives  in  these  mountains  but  the 
Beni  Azaleh,"  replied  the  mullah  slowly  after  a 
few  moments'  thought,  but  there  was  something 
in  his  manner  which  showed  that  he  was  not 
speaking  the  truth. 

A  conversation  followed,  in  which  some  of  the 
Arabs  present  joined.  Numerous  questions  were 
asked  of  Aylward  and  Yorke,  to  which  they 
replied  through  the  dragoman.  The  comments 
made  by  their  hosts  on  the  appearance  and  ways 
of  their  guests  were  often  far  from  flattering. 
Though  Yorke  understood  all  that  was  said,  he 
thought  it  well  not  to  show  his  knowledge.  The 
old  sheikh  did  not  say  a  word  during  the  whole 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness*  25 

interview,  but  sat  looking  about  him  as  if  uncon- 
scious of  what  was  going  on. 

"  Inform  your  masters,"  said  the  mullah  at 
length  to  the  dragoman,  "  that  they  are  welcome 
to  the  tent  of  Abd'allah  Abou  Mansur,  Sheikh  of 
the  Beni  Azaleh,  who  hopes  they  will  honor  him 
by  remaining  many  days  in  his  camp,  accepting 
such  poor  hospitality  as  he  can  offer." 

This  being  formally  translated  by  the  drago- 
man to  his  masters,  they  directed  him  to  express 
to  the  mullah  their  thanks  and  their  acceptance 
of  the  invitation. 

A  great  copper  dish,  about  three  feet  in 
diameter,  was  now  brought  in  by  two  negroes, 
on  which  smoked  a  kid  stewed  in  rice  and  set 
round  with  piles  of  thin,  flat,  tough  Arab  bread, 
lumps  of  dates,  and  pats  of  butter.  The  trav- 
elers being  invited  to  partake,  seated  themselves 
beside  the  huge  dish  and  began  to  convey  small 
portions  of  stewed  meat  and  greasy  rice  to  their 
mouths  with  their  hands  in  the  best  way  they 
could.  Neither  the  sheikh  nor  the  mullah  joined 
in  the  feast ;  but  two  or  three  of  the  older  men 
present  squatted  on  the  floor  and  began  to  tear 
the  kid  to  pieces  with  their  fingers  and  to  shovel 
balls  of  rice  down  their  throats.  By  way  of 
dessert  they  dipped  dates  in  the  butter  and  ate 
them.  When  they  were  satiated,  others  took 
their  place  and  fed  as  voraciously.  In  a  very 
short  time  all  the  meat,  rice,  and  butter  had  dis- 


26  The  Finding  of  Lofs  Wife* 

appeared,  and  all  that  remained  were  the  date- 
stones  which  the  feasters  had  spat  out  on  the 
floor.  One  of  the  Arabs  wiped  his  dripping  fin- 
gers on  the  shock  head  of  a  child  who  had  crept 
into  the  tent ;  but  most  of  them  cleansed  their 
hands  with  dust  from  the  floor. 

Meanwhile  Hanna,  the  cook,  assisted  by  some 
of  the  Arabs  outside,  had  unladen  the  baggage 
donkeys,  and  had  put  up  the  small  tent  that  the 
travelers  had  brought  with  them.  As  it  was  by 
this  time  getting  dark,  Aylward  and  Yorke,  after 
saluting  the  company,  left  the  sheikh's  tent  and 
retired  to  their  own.  They  had  much  difficulty 
in  getting  rid  of  the  men,  women,  and  children 
who  crowded  round  it,  whose  curiosity  was  in- 
satiable. Then,  having  made  themselves  com- 
fortable for  the  night,  they  threw  themselves  on 
their  carpets,  too  tired  even  to  talk. 

They  passed  an  uncomfortable  night,  being 
disturbed  by  the  grunting  of  the  camels  and  the 
tinkle  of  their  bells,  the  neighing  of  horses,  the 
bleating  of  goats,  and  the  plaintive  cry  of  a 
newly-born  camel  foal,  which  was  tied  close  to 
the  tent  door.  Constantly  throughout  the  night 
voices  could  be  heard  roaring  out  desert  songs, 
shouting  at  quarreling  camels  and  squealing 
mares,  or  talking  noisily.  The  disgusting  odor 
which  pervaded  the  camp  seemed  to  thicken 
during  the  night. 

"  What   beasts    these    Arabs    are  !  "  muttered 


In  Perils  of  the  Wilderness^  27 

Aylward,  as  he  turned    on  his   carpet    restlessly 
for  the  tenth  time. 

**  They  be  ryght  foule  folke  and  of  evyll 
lyking,"  murmured  Yorke  sleepily,  quoting  Sir 
John  Maundeville's  dictum  on  the  Tartars.  The 
"  Voiage  and  Travayle  "  of  this  old  romancer  was 
a  favorite  book  with  the  artist,  and  he  was  al- 
ways quoting  from  it. 


CHAPTER  HL 
The  Sheikh's  Daughter* 

The  two  young  Englishmen  soon  found  that 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Beni  Azaleh, 
who  treated  them  as  honored  guests,  and  gave 
them  of  the  best  they  had.  Presents  of  kid 
stewed  in  milk  with  spices,  butter  and  coarse 
sugar  mixed  together,  lumps  of  dates,  greasy 
sweetmeats,  and  other  Arab  delicacies  were 
brought  to  them  by  the  leading  men  of  the  tribe, 
who  were  delighted  to  receive  small  quantities  of 
coffee  in  return. 

There  were,  however,  three  men  who  openly 
showed  ill-will  to  the  guests  of  the  tribe,  though 
it  was  only  by  the  expressions  of  their  faces. 
The  principal  of  these  was  the  mullah,  whose 
reason  for  regarding  them  with  disfavor  was 
probably  because  they  were,  in  his  eyes,  infidels 
and  enemies  of  God.  When  he  happened  to 
meet  them  he  was  coldly  courteous,  but  took  no 


The  Sheikh's  Daugfhten  29 

further  pains  to  hide  his  feelings  towards  them. 
The  leader  of  the  party  of  horsemen  whom  the 
travelers  had  encountered  was  another  man  who 
was  obviously  unfriendly  to  them,  for  he  never 
came  to  their  tent_,  and  would  scarcely  conde- 
scend to  return  their  greeting  when  they  met. 
They  learned  that  he  was  the  nephew  of  the 
sheikh,  and  also  his  heir,  as  the  old  man  had  no 
son,  also  that  he  was  always  spoken  of  as  El  Jezzar, 
or  ''  the  butcher,"  which  seemed  to  be  considered  a 
complimentary  appellation.  They  did  not  under- 
stand for  what  reason  he  was  so  ill-disposed 
towards  them,  but  supposed  it  was  because  he 
would  fain  plunder  them,  but  did  not  dare  to  do 
so  against  the  will  of  the  tribe.  There  was  one 
other  man  who  always  scowled  and  muttered 
malevolently  when  he  saw  them  ;  but  as  this  was 
only  the  hideous  negro  who  had  been  present  in 
the  sheikh's  tent  when  they  were  received  by  the 
leading  men  of  the  tribe,  they  did  not  trouble 
themselves  in  the  least  about  him.  He  bore, 
they  learned,  the  very  appropriate  nickname  of 
El  Wahsh,  or  "  the  wild  beast." 

The  dragoman  informed  his  masters  on  the 
morning  after  their  arrival  in  the  camp  that  he 
had  been  told  by  the  tribesmen  that  the  reason 
why  the  old  sheikh  had  not  spoken  to  or  taken 
any  notice  of  them  during  their  visit  to  his  tent 
was  because  he  had  suddenly  lost  his  reason 
some  months  before.     He  was,  however,  still  re- 


so  The  Finding  of  Lot's  wife* 

garded  by  the  tribe  as  their  leader,  as  they  firmly 
believed  that  the  medicines  and  prayers  ot  the 
mullah  would  soon  cure  him  of  his  mental 
malady. 

At  the  request  of  their  guests  the  Beni  Azaleh 
sent  out  a  party  of  horsemen  to  look  for  the 
Jehaleh  escort,  who,  it  was  thought,  might  still 
be  in  the  neighborhood.  The  pursuers  followed 
the  tracks  of  the  fugitives  all  day,  but  without 
coming  up  with  them.  The  Jehaleh  had  re- 
treated to  Mar  Saba  as  fast  as  their  jaded  steeds 
could  take  them,  leaving  the  travelers  whom  they 
had  been  paid  to  protect,  to  the  mercies  of  the 
armed  strangers  they  had  met  so  unexpectedly. 

As  their  horses  and  the  riding  and  baggage 
donkeys  were  quite  unfit  for  traveling  after  the 
toils  and  privations  of  the  past  three  days,  and  as 
they  themselves  and  their  servants  needed  a  rest, 
the  two  Englishmen  determined  to  remain  with 
the  Beni  Azaleh  a  few  days,  leaving  their  future 
movements  to  be  decided  on  according  to  circum- 
stances. 

The  hospitality  and  friendliness  shown  to  the 
travelers  was  due  to  some  extent  to  the  popular- 
ity of  the  dragoman  in  the  camp.  Like  all 
Arabs,  the  Beni  Azaleh  were  very  fond  of  listen- 
ing to  stories,  and  Georgis  soon  became  a  great 
favorite  with  them  owing  to  his  gifts  in  that 
respect.  In  a  few  days  he  was  known  throughout 
the  camp  as  El  Hakwatieh,  or  the  "  story-teller." 


The  Sheikh's  Daughter  31 

He  was  a  good-natured  man,  and,  though  he 
affected  great  contempt  for  Arabs,  nevertheless 
condescended  to  spin  interminable  and  full- 
flavored  stories  for  their  amusement  every  night. 
Sitting  cross-legged  in  an  open  spot  in  the  camp 
and  surrounded  by  an  appreciative  audience,  he 
told  them  of  the  marvelous  things  he  had  seen 
in  his  travels,  such  as  women  growing  on  trees, 
men  with  dogs'  heads,  and  animals  of  the  most 
extraordinary  description,  and  related  many 
stories  of  the  wonders  wrought  by  King  Solomon 
by  means  of  his  cabalistic  seal ;  of  the  amours 
and  escapades  of  sultans  and  viziers ;  of  the  evil 
doings  of  magicians  and  giants,  and  many  similar 
fables.  At  the  conclusion  of  each  story  he  in- 
variably solemnly  swore  by  God  that  it  was  true. 

Aylward  made  inquiries  through  the  dragoman 
as  to  what  sport  was  to  be  obtained  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  was  informed  by  some  of  the  Beni 
Azaleh  that  they  had  seen  ibex  on  the  high 
ranges  above  the  wadi.  He  accordingly  went  in 
search  of  them,  accompanied  by  two  or  three  men 
as  guides  and  gun-carriers ;  but  though  he  spent 
the  greater  part  of  three  days  wandering  about 
the  bare,  rocky  hills,  he  did  not  find  so  much  as 
the  footprints  of  the  wild  goats.  He  therefore 
gave  up  the  pursuit,  being  satisfied  that  the  game 
he  had  been  looking  for  existed  only  in  the  im- 
agination of  the  tribesmen. 

Yorke   occupied   himself   all   the    morning    of 


32  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

their  first  day  in  the  camp  in  making  inquiries  re- 
garding the  Monastery  of  St.  Lot,  as  he  was  quite 
convinced  that  the  mullah  had  lied  in  reply  to 
his  question  on  the  subject  the  evening  before. 
But  he  learned  nothing.  The  Beni  Azaleh  de- 
clared that  they  were  strangers  to  the  mountains, 
having  come  there  from  the  Nefood  Desert,  only 
some  fifteen  moons  before.  The  "  mistrowing 
men,"  as  the  artist  called  them,  positively  denied 
all  knowledge  of  any  Christian  monastery  or 
other  inhabited  building  of  any  kind  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  grew  sulky  and  silent.  When 
Yorke,  much  disappointed  and  indignant  at  what 
he  believed  was  their  foolish  and  purposeless 
lying,  roundly  expressed  his  disbelief  in  their 
statements,  they  admitted  that  they  had  seen 
"  sura  hdjar  *'  or  stone  pictures  on  the  rocks,  but 
protested  that  these  were  the  only  evidence  that 
the  barren  almost  waterless  wadis  round  them 
had  ever  been  inhabited. 

Yorke  was  possessed  of  a  fair  knowledge  of 
rough  surgery  and  simple  medicine,  and  this  fact 
having  been  made  known  by  the  dragoman  to  the 
Beni  Azaleh,  the  artist  was  dubbed  by  them  El 
Hakim  or  doctor,  and  was  pestered  all  day  by 
sick  persons  seeking  relief.  Men  and  women 
crowded  round  the  tent  door,  and  publicly  de- 
scribed their  ailments  with  embarrassing  minute- 
ness and  absence  of  reticence.  No  case  was  con- 
sidered too  hopeless  to  benefit  by  the  hakim's 


The  Sheikh's  Dau^hten  '  ^   33 

skill.  Persons  stone-blind  and  incurably  de- 
formed presented  themselves  for  medical  treat- 
ment, also  several  unhappy  wives  who  hoped  to 
get  some  medicine  that  would  cure  them  of 
barrenness  or  bring  about  the  birth  of  male 
children.  A  screaming  child  was  brought  to  him 
one  morning,  who,  it  was  said,  had  been  bitten 
by  a  "mother  of  forty-four,"  which  mysterious 
creature  turned  out,  on  inquiry,  to  be  a  centipede. 

The  medicine  most  popular  was  white  lump 
sugar,  of  which  the  travelers  had  a  good  supply. 
Troops  of  children  hung  about  the  tent  all  day  in 
hope  of  getting  a  piece,  and  even  the  men  did 
not  disdain  to  beg  for  some.  The  women  and 
girls,  several  of  whom  were  very  handsome, 
showed  no  fear  of  the  Englishmen,  and  chatted 
freely  with  Yorke,  much  to  the  disapprobation  of 
the  dragoman,  who  professed  to  be  scandalized 
by  what  he  chose  to  regard  as  their  immodesty 
and  forwardness. 

In  the  early  morning,  and  also  before  sunset, 
when  not  engaged  in  his  medical  duties,  Yorke 
was  accustomed  to  wander  about  the  camp  taking 
sketches,  generally  attended  by  a  retinue  of 
youths  and  children.  He  made  a  number  of  ex- 
cellent drawings  of  swarthy  sons  of  the  desert 
tending  their  mares,  women  making  butter  in 
goat-skins,  graceful  girls  carrying  pitchers  of 
water  on  their  heads,  and  other  camp  scenes. 

Very  early  one  morning,  before  the  camp  was 


34  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

astir,  the  artist,  who  was  always  up  before  day- 
break, came  out  of  the  tent  and  sauntered  off, 
looking  for  something  to  sketch.  One  or  two 
men  who  stood  yawning  in  their  tent  doors 
saluted  him,  but  nobody  followed  him,  and  he 
arrived  alone  at  the  outskirts  of  the  camp,  where 
he  stopped.  As  he  stood  looking  about  him,  an 
Arab  girl  whom  he  had  not  seen  before  appeared 
from  another  direction  with  a  large  wooden  bowl 
on  her  head,  and,  going  towards  some  she-camels 
tethered  near,  began  to  milk  one  of  them.  She 
had  not  seen  the  young  man,  who  was  partly 
hidden  by  a  tent. 

The  girl,  who  was  about  sixteen  years  old,  was 
of  remarkable  beauty,  tall  and  slender,  with  small 
hands  and  feet.  Her  complexion  was  unusually 
light  for  one  of  her  nation,  being  of  a  delicate, 
golden  olive  tint,  and  she  had  clear-cut  features 
of  the  aquiline  Bedawin  type.  Her  lustrous,  dark 
eyes  looked  unnaturally  large,  being  painted 
round  with  henna.  She  was  clad  in  a  flowing 
dark-blue  garment,  open  at  the  throat,  which,  at 
every  movement,  revealed  the  outline  of  her  lithe 
figure  and  supple  limbs.  A  loosely  tied  sash  en- 
circled her  slender  waist.  Her  long  black  hair  hung 
down  her  back,  partly  hidden  by  a  hood  thrown 
gracefully  over  her  head.  Rows  of  gold  sequins 
and  other  coins  hung  over  her  forehead,  and 
round  her  shapely  neck  were  numerous  necklaces 
of  silver,  amber,  and  glass  beads.     She  had  large 


The  Sheikh's  Daughter  35 

silver  rings  in  her  ears,  and  curiously  shaped 
bracelets  and  chains  on  her  delicate  wrists  and 
ankles. 

Yorke  stood  for  some  moments  admiring  the 
girl  and  wondering  who  she  was,  and  how  it  was 
that  he  had  not  seen  her  before.  He  then  seized 
his  pencil  and  block,  and  began  to  make  a  furtive 
and  rapid  sketch  of  her  in  the  act  of  milking  the 
she-camel.  He  had  very  nearly  finished  it  when 
she  caught  sight  of  him.  The  foal  of  the  camel 
she  was  milking,  a  little  creature  all  legs  and  eyes, 
having  pushed  against  her  in  its  efforts  to  get  at 
its  dam,  she  had  looked  round  and  had  seen  the 
artist.  She  did  not  appear  startled,  but  gazed  at 
him  fearlessly  yet  modestly,  obviously  wonder- 
ing what  he  was  doing.  The  young  man  beck- 
oned to  her  to  come  and  look  at  the  sketch  he 
had  made,  and  she  at  once  came  to  his  side  and 
stood  for  some  moments  looking  at  the  picture. 

"  Do  you  like  it,  O  girl  ?  "  asked  Yorke. 

"  It  is  most  wonderful,  my  lord,"  she  replied, 
with  a  little  sigh  of  delight. 

"  Do  you  think  it  is  like  you  ?  " 

*'  No,  my  lord,"  replied  the  girl,  laughing  musi- 
cally. 

"  Why,  O  fair  one  ?  " 

"  Because  my  lord  has  drawn  with  the  skill  God 
has  given  him  a  most  beautiful  peri,  while  I  am 
but  a  Bedawi  girl." 

"  You  are  far  prettier  than  I  have  made  you  in 


36  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

the  picture,  O  modest  one,"  returned  the  young 
man,  looking  up  into  the  girl's  lovely  face. 

Just  then  the  voices  of  people  approaching  be- 
came audible.  Yorke  had  no  difficulty  in  recog- 
nizing one  of  them  from  its  harshness,  as  being 
that  of  El  Jezzar,  the  nephew  of  the  sheikh.  On 
hearing  it,  the  girl  darted  off,  and,  catching  up 
the  bowl  of  camel's  milk,  tripped  gracefully  away. 
The  artist  looked  after  her  smilingly.  She  evi- 
dently read  the  admiration  in  his  face,  for  she 
shot  a  half-amused,  half-pleased  glance  from  her 
dark  eyes  at  him  as  she  disappeared. 

Yorke  went  back  to  the  tent,  where  he  found 
Aylward  sitting  down  to  the  early  morning  meal 
that  Hanna  the  cook  had  just  brought  in,  and 
joined  him.  When  they  had  finished,  he  handed 
his  friend  the  sketch  he  had  just  made,  with  the 
remark — 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

"  H'm — an  English  girl  dressed  in  Arab  female 
costume,  milking  a  she-camel,"  commented  Ayl- 
ward^ glancing  at  the  picture. 

**  She's  a  Beni  Azaleh  girl  of  pure  blood,"  ob- 
served Yorke  testily. 

"  Doesn't  look  it.     Where  did  you  see  her  ?  " 

"  Out  in  the  camp  just  now.  She's  the  pretti- 
est Eastern  girl  I  have  ever  seen." 

"So  you've  discovered  another  paragon  of  Ori- 
ental beauty,  have  you  ?  Let's  see — this  makes 
the  seventeenth,  I  think,  to  whose  dusky  charms 


-f- 


The  Sheikh's  Daughter.  37 

you  have  fallen  a  victim  since  we  came  to  the  gor- 
geous East  together.  There  was  that  Berber 
creature  you  raved  about  at  Tangiers,  and  that 
Jewess  at  Algiers,  and  that  Galla  slave-girl  at 
Cairo,  and " 

"  Oh,  shut  up  !  This  girl  is  far  and  away  pret- 
tier than  any  of  those." 

"  Of  course !  The  last  black  beauty  that  bursts 
on  your  enraptured  vision  is  always  the  prettiest," 
retorted  Aylward.  "  How  you  can  find  beauty  in 
any  of  these  brown  tattooed  Arab  females, 
adorned  with  beads  and  dirt,  beats  me  !  I  expect 
to  hear  you  some  day  singing  the  charms  of  a 
woolly-haired  negress  !  " 

"  I  never  saw  such  a  prejudiced  fellow  as  you 
are,  Hal.  If  a  girl  has  a  dark  skin,  you  think 
she  must  necessarily  be  hideous." 

"  Every  man  to  his  taste.  To  my  eyes,  a 
plump,  rosy-cheeked  English  dairy-maid  is  far 
prettier  than  any  of  your  black  but  comely 
belles." 

"  I'm  pretty  sure  that  if  you  saw  the  girl  I  met 
just  now  you  would  acknowledge  her  to  be  the 
loveliest  and  most  graceful  creature  you  ever  saw." 

"  Who  is  she  ? "  demanded  Aylward,  with  an 
incredulous  laugh. 

"  Haven't  the  least  notion.  It  is  a  strange 
thing  that  I  should  not  have  seen  her  before.  I 
thought  every  girl  in  the  camp  had  been  round  to 
beg  for  sugar." 


38  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

'*  Well,  if  you  will  take  my  advice,  Noel,  you 
won't  attempt  to  meet  her  again.  The  fact  that 
you  have  never  seen  her  before  shows  that  she  is 
not  allowed  to  go  about  like  the  other  girls,  prob- 
ably because  she  is  of  better  birth.  She  is  sure 
to  have  a  husband  or  lover  who  will  want  to  cut 
your  throat  if  he  catches  you  talking  to  her." 

The  subject  then  dropped.  Aylward,  accom- 
panied by  half-a-dozen  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  went 
off  to  look  for  the  mythical  ibex  said  to  frequent 
the  hills  around,  while  Yorke  sat  down  to  finish 
the  sketch  he  had  made.  He  worked  at  it  all  the 
morning,  taking  much  pains,  and  was  well  pleased 
with  the  result  when  he  had  finished  it.  As  he 
worked  he  thought  a  great  deal  of  the  beautiful 
girl  he  had  seen.  He  knew  that  the  advice  his 
friend  had  given  him  was  sound  common  sense  ; 
nevertheless  he  resolved  to  ascertain  who  the  girl 
was  and  to  try  and  meet  her  again  if  possible. 
The  dragoman,  he  knew,  would  find  out  all  about 
her,  if  ordered  to  do  so,  but  he  did  not  care  to 
speak  to  him  on  the  subject.  He  felt  that  his 
only  chance  of  seeing  her  again  would  be  another 
accidental  meeting. 

The  whole  of  that  afternoon  the  artist  wan- 
dered about  the  camp,  pretending  to  be  looking 
for  something  to  sketch.  As  he  strolled  along  he 
gazed  round  in  all  directions,  glancing  into  every 
tent  that  he  passed,  but  saw  nothing  of  the  girl 
he  was  in  search  of.     At  length   he  decided   that 


The  Sheikh's  Daughter  39 

for  some  reason  that  he  could  not  guess  she  was 
being  kept  out  of  sight,  and  he  accordingly  left 
the  camp  in  dudgeon  and  went  towards  the  cliffs 
some  two  or  three  hundred  paces  distant.  There 
were  several  picturesque  caverns  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliffs  which  had  been  converted  into  folds  for 
goats,  and  his  object  was  to  sketch  them.  As  he 
neared  the  cliffs,  he  saw,  seated  at  the  entrance  to 
the  largest  of  the  caves,  two  girls  who  were  tend- 
ing a  flock  of  black,  long-eared  goats ;  and  the 
idea  instantly  occurred  to  him  that  one  of  them 
might  be  the  girl  he  was  looking  for.  He  was 
followed  as  usual  by  a  crowd  of  children,  and  he 
determined  to  get  rid  of  them  before  going  any 
farther.  He  was  feeling  in  his  pocket  for  some 
copper  paras  with  which  to  bribe  them  to  go 
away,  when  there  was  a  sudden  commotion  in  the 
camp  behind.  A  vicious  camel  had  attacked  its 
owner  open-mouthed,  and  had  then  bolted,  throw- 
ing out  its  long  ungainly  legs  as  it  fled  down  the 
wadi,  followed  by  all  the  idlers  in  the  camp.  On 
seeing  this,  all  the  children  at  the  artist's  heels 
ran  off  after  the  runaway  camel,  screaming  with 
excitement. 

Congratulating  himself  on  his  good  fortune  in 
getting  rid  of  his  satellites  so  easily,  Yorke  went 
on.  He  had  not  gone  a  stone's  throw  when  a 
smile  of  satisfaction  crossed  his  face,  for  he  had 
recognized  the  slender,  graceful  form  of  one  of 
the  girls.     It  was  the  beautiful  girl  whom  he  had 


40  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

met  that  morning  and  for  whom  he  had  been 
looking  all  the  afternoon.  The  other  was  a 
plump,  merry-faced  little  creature,  about  twelve 
years  old,  who  wore  a  silver  ring  through  her 
under-lip.  The  young  man  recognized  her  at 
once  by  this  singular  ornament,  as  one  of  the 
children  who  had  come  to  the  tent  to  beg  for 
sugar.  She  was  the  first  to  see  him,  and  she 
pointed  him  out  excitedly  to  her  companion, 
who,  however,  did  not  rise,  but  looked  round 
calmly  as  the  artist  approached.  For  a  moment 
Yorke  was  at  a  loss  how  to  accost  the  girl ;  but, 
seeing,  a  bowl  of  goat's  milk  standing  beside  the 
stone  on  which  she  sat,  he  pointed  to  it  and 
said — 

*'  May  I  drink,  O  girl  ?  " 

Rising,  she  took  up  the  bowl,  and  handing  it 
to  him  said,  with  a  graceful  gesture,  "  Drink,  my 
lord." 

Having  sipped  a  little  of  the  milk,  the  young 
man  put  down  the  vessel,  and,  seating  himself  at 
the  girl's  feet,  began  to  talk  to  her. 

*'  What  is  your  name,  O  girl  ?  " 

"  Ay^da,  my  lord." 

**  Whose  daughter  are  you  ?  " 

"  The  daughter  of  the  Sheikh,  Abd'allah  Abou 
Mansur." 

"  Is  your  mother  alive?  " 

"  No,  my  lord." 

**  Have  you  any  brothers  or  sisters  ?  " 


The  Sheikh's  Daug^hter*  41 

"They  are  all  dead,"  replied  the  girl  sadly. 

"  Where  is  your  husband  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  husband,  my  lord." 

"  How  is  that  ?  Is  it  not  the  custom  for  the 
Bedawin  maidens  to  be  married  very  young?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord.  Feydeh  here  is  married.  Are 
you  not,  Feydeh  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  was  married  last  date-season,"  said 
the  younger  girl,  conscious  of  her  dignity.  "  But 
El  Jezzar  is  going  to  marry  you,  Ay^da,"  she 
»added. 

The  elder  girl  made  no  remark,  but  the  ex- 
pression of  her  face  seemed  to  show  that  she  did 
not  view  the  prospect  with  pleasure. 

"Your  future  husband  is  your  cousin,  then?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord ;  he  is  the  son  of  my  father's 
brother,"  replied  Ay^da,  with  evident  reluctance 
to  talk  on  the  subject. 

"  Why  do  they  call  him  El  Jezzar  ?  " 

"  Because  he  and  El  Wahsh  crept  one  night 
into  the  camp  of  the  Awdhineh  and  cut  the 
throats  of  a  score  of  men  and  women  while  they 
slept,"  replied  the  younger  girl  Feydeh  gleefully, 
evidently  considering  the  bloody  deed  to  have 
been  a  highly  meritorious  feat. 

"  A  full  wicked  man  and  a  fell,"  quoted  Yorke  in 
English.  He  sat  in  silence  for  some  time,  glanc- 
ing up  every  now  and  then  at  Ay^da's  lovely  face. 

"  How  is  it  that  you  are  so  different  from  the 
other  maidens  of  your  tribe  ?  "  he  asked  at  length. 


^2  The  Finding  of  Lof s  Wife. 

"  In  what  am  I  different,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  In  your  appearance.  You  are  very  beauti- 
ful,  and  your  skin  is  nearly  as  fair  as  mine." 

"  It  must  be  because  of  my  blood.  The  first- 
born males  of  my  family  have  been  sheikhs  of 
the  Beni  Azaleh  for  many  generations,  and  have 
always  taken  wives  of  the  best  born  and  most 
beautiful  of  the  Bedawtn  maidens,"  replied  Ay^da 
simply,  but  with  a  pleased  smile. 

"  Is  it  not  a  little  over-bold  for  a  lovely  girl 
Hke  you  to  go  outside  the  camp  with  only  a 
child  as  a  companion  ?  " 

"  What  should  I  fear,  my  lord  ?  Nobody  lives 
in  this  wadi  but  my  own  people,  and  there  are  no 
wild  beasts." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  not  afraid  of 
me,  though  I  am  a  stranger  and  an  unbeliever." 

"  I  would  be  foolish  indeed  to  fear  you.  All 
our  tribe  know  that  Englishmen  are  good." 

**  El  Jezzar  does  not  love  Franks,"  remarked 
Feydeh,  nodding  her  head  with  deep  conviction. 

At  that  moment  Ay6da  made  a  warning  ges- 
ture of  silence.  She  sat  in  a  listening  attitude 
for  a  few  moments,  then  rose  and  glanced  towards 
the  camp. 

"  My  lord,  he  of  whom  Feydeh  spoke  is  com- 
ing, and  is  near  at  hand,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice, 
turning  to  Yorke.  "  It  will  not  be  well  for  him 
to  see  you  with  us.  Hide  yourself  in  the  cave 
till  he  has  gone  on  his  way." 


The  Sheikh's  Daughter*  43 

The  artist  was  unwilling  to  get  the  girl  into 
trouble  with  the  man  she  was  to  marry,  so  did  as 
he  ,was  bidden  in  silence.  He  stood  back  in  a 
narrow  dark  recess  on  the  side  of  the  cavern, 
from  which  position  he  could  both  see  and  hear 
all  that  happened.  He  saw  El  Jezzar  arrive, 
and  heard  him  ask  the  two  girls  in  a  loud 
authoritative  tone  why  they  were  idling  there, 
but  neither  of  them  made  any  reply.  The  fel- 
low then  ordered  them  sharply  to  go  back  to  the 
camp  at  once.  The  younger  girl  rose  to  obey, 
but  her  companion  remained  seated  and  took  no 
notice  of  her  kinsman's  order;  and  Feydeh, 
after  glancing  timidly  from  one  to  the  other, 
seated  herself  again.  El  Jezzar,  with  an  oath, 
again  ordered  them  to  the  camp,  but  neither  of 
them  moved ;  so,  seeing  that  they  did  not  in- 
tend to  obey  him,  he  walked  off  muttering 
angrily.  A  minute  or  two  later  Yorke  heard 
Ay^da's  clear  voice  say,  "  He  is  gone,  my  lord," 
and  accordingly  came  out  of  the  cave  and  again 
seated  himself  at  her  feet. 

"  El  Jezzar  was  so  angry  !  "  remarked  Feydeh, 
her  eyes  wide  open  and  shining  with  excitement. 
"  He  ordered  us  to  return  to  the  camp,  but 
Ay^da  would  not  go." 

"  It  will  be  time  enough  for  me  to  obey  him 
when  I  am  his  slave,  and  he  can  beat  me  if  I  re- 
fuse," said  Ay^da,  with  flashing  eyes  and  defiant 
curl  of  her  lips. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Bcni  Azaleh. 

YORKE  continued  to  talk  to  the  two  girls  for 
some  time,  addressing  himself  principally  to 
Ay^da.  During  their  conversation  the  girl  al- 
luded to  the  misfortunes  which  had  befallen  her 
tribe,  whereupon  the  artist  asked  what  had  hap- 
pened to  them. 

"  I  suppose  you  fled  to  these  mountains  from 
enemies  ?  "  he  remarked. 

Before  replying,  the  girl  rose  and  glanced 
round  to  assure  herself  that  El  Jezzar  was  not  in 
sight,  and  no  one  else  coming  to  disturb  them. 
Then  seating  herself,  she  began  to  tell  the  young 
man  the  sad  story  of  her  tribe  and  family,  with 
eyes  flashing  with  indignation  or  wet  with  grief. 
She  spoke  with  dramatic  force,  gesticulating  with 
her  little  hands,  every  line  of  her  graceful  form 
being  instinct  with  feeling. 

**  Listen,  my  lord,  and   I  will  tell  you  how  it 


The  Beni  Azalch*  4S 

has  pleased  God  to  bring  our  tribe  to  nought," 
she  said.  "  The  Beni  Azaleh  are  true  children  of 
the  desert.  Our  home  is  many  days*  journey 
from  here — in  the  great  Sand  country,  south  of 
the  Euphrates.  Only  some  fifteen  moons  ago 
we  were  a  powerful  tribe  ;  our  tents  numbered 
over  fifty  score,  and  our  camels  and  goats  cov- 
ered the  country.  There  were  no  horses  like  the 
horses  of  the  Beni  Azaleh.  We  led  a  happy  life, 
wandering  from  pasture  to  pasture,  and  enrich- 
ing ourselves  by  the  sale  of  our  foals  and  young 
camels.  There  was  no  fighting  except  chance 
encounters  with  robber-tribes. 

"  One  day  there  came  to  our  camp  from  Da- 
mascus a  white  man,  an  Englishman,  and  he 
brought  his  lady  with  him.  He  was  a  very  saint, 
though  it  was  said  that  he  was  an  unbeliever,  and 
she  was  a  blessed  one.  They  said  they  had 
come  to  live  among  us  till  God  took  them. 
The  effendi  became  the  brother  of  my  father  the 
sheikh  by  the  blood-ceremony.  Ere  long  he  was 
looked  upon  as  a  father  by  the  men,  and  his  lady, 
the  hatdun,  as  a  mother  by  the  women  of  our 
tribe.  They  taught  us  many  holy  things,  espe- 
cially about  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God,  who 
had  sent  his  son  Esa  to  take  on  himself  the  bur- 
den of  our  sins ;  and  gradually  our  men  began  to 
forsake  their  evil  ways  and  foul  talk,  and  our  wo- 
men to  grow  pure  and  gentle.  But  an  evil  day 
came.    The  hatdun  sickened  and  died,  and  soon 


46  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

after  the  wise  and  good  effendi,  who  sorrowed 
greatly  for  her,  also  died. 

"Soon  after  this  war  broke  out  between  us 
and  the  Awdhineh.  We  had  always  been  ene- 
mies"— here  Ayeda  linked  her  little  fingers  to- 
gether to  express  "  enemies  " — "  for  they  were 
bitterly  jealous  of  us.  They  trespassed  on  one 
of  our  camel-pastures,  and  refused  to  leave  when 
ordered  to  do  so  by  my  father.  Thereupon  the 
men  of  our  tribe  cried  to  the  sheikh  to  lead  them 
against  the  enemy.  But  my  elder  brother,  Man- 
ser, restrained  them,  remembering  the  words  of 
the  saintly  effendi,  that  all  war  was  evil,  espe- 
cially between  people  of  the  same  race.  Alone 
and  unarmed  he  rode  to  the  camp  of  our  enemies, 
hoping  to  settle  the  dispute  without  bloodshed. 
But  the  tent  of  the  Awdhineh  is  the  abode  of 
shame.  As  Mansfir  left  the  tent  of  the  sheikh, 
where  he  had  eaten  salt  with  him,  he  was  stabbed 
in  the  back  by  the  sheikh's  brother  with  his  yem- 
biya  and  fell  dead  in  the  doorway.  When  the 
news  of  his  treacherous  murder  reached  our 
camp,  every  man,  woman,  and  child  cried  aloud 
for  vengeance,  and  before  nightfall  five  hundred 
armed  horsemen  had  started  on  a  great  'ghazu.'  * 
They  took  with  them  the  sacred  '  atfah.'  " 

"  What  was  that  ?  "  interrupted  Yorke. 

"  It  is  a  great  basket-saddle,  my  lord,  adorned 
with  ostrich  feathers  and  carried  by   the  finest 

*  War-party. 


The  Beni  AzalcK  47 

camel  in  the  tribe.  It  was  ridden  by  my  sister 
Fasala,  whose  right  it  was  to  do  so  as  the  eldest 
daughter  of  the  sheikh.  The  possession  of  it  was 
believed  by  our  people  to  ensure  victory  to  them, 
but  they  soon  found  that  it  was  not  so.  The 
Awdhineh  knew  well  what  to  expect  after  their 
wickedness,  and  prepared  to  defend  themselves. 
They  induced  by  lying  promises  several  other 
tribes — who,  though  they  professed  to  be  our 
friends,  had  long  been  jealous  of  us — to  join 
them.  A  great  battle  was  fought.  The  Beni 
Azaleh  acquitted  themselves  like  men,  but  were 
beaten,  being  overpowered  by  their  enemies. 
My  sister  received  a  bullet  in  her  side,  but  con- 
tinued to  chant  the  war-song  till  she  fell  dead, 
and  then  the  '  atfah '  was  taken  by  the  enemy. 
When  they  saw  what  had  happened,  our  people 
lost  heart  and  fled.  The  Awahineh  pursued 
them,  and  our  whole  tribe  retreated  before  them 
deeper  into  the  desert.  Day  and  night  we  trav- 
eled, almost  without  rest.  We  were  forced  to 
abandon  our  flocks  of  goats,  and  our  camels  and 
horses  died  by  scores  in  that  terrible  flight.  Our 
enemies  followed  hard,  and  cut  off  and  slew 
many  of  our  tribe  who  had  been  unable  from  fa- 
tigue to  keep  up  with  the  rest.  When  at  length 
they  gave  up  the  pursuit  and  turned  back,  there 
was  left  of  the  great  tribe  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  only 
the  handful  you  now  see.  Our  people  thought 
scorn  to  go  and  live  among  the  fellahin  in  the 


48  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

Ghor,  so  we  made  our  way  to  these  desolate 
mountains,  where  we  are  safe  from  our  enemies. 
Here  we  are  likely  to  remain  the  rest  of  our 
lives." 

"  I  suppose  it  was  the  destruction  of  his  tribe 
that  made  your  father  the  sheikh  what  he  now 
is  ?  "  remarked  Yorke  sympathetically. 

Ayeda  shook  her  head. 

*'  No,  my  lord  ;  it  was  an  even  greater  misfor- 
tune which  bereft  him  of  his  senses.  My  father 
had  two  sons — Mansur,  who  was  murdered  by 
the  Awahineh,  and  Selim,  who  was  born  after  me, 
and  he  loved  them  both  with  his  whole  soul. 
Mansur  was  the  best  horseman  in  the  tribe,  and 
no  one  could  wield  the  lance  or  shoot  so  well  as 
he.  But  Selim  cared  neither  for  horses  nor 
weapons.  He  loved  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  the 
English  effendi  and  listen  to  his  words  of  wis- 
dom. Both  the  effendi  and  the  blessed  one,  his 
lady,  cherished  the  boy  and  taught  him  daily , 
and  when  they  died  he  wept  many  days,  refusing 
to  be  comforted. 

"After  Mansur's  death  my  father  could  not 
bear  to  let  Selim  out  of  his  sight,  and  guarded 
him  as  a  precious  jewel.  Nevertheless  one  day, 
about  six  moons  ago,  the  boy  disappeared  and 
has  never  been  seen  by  any  one  since.  Most  of 
of  our  people  say  that  he  was  carried  off  by  jtn, 
of  which  these  mountains  are  full.  Some  whis- 
per  that    El   Jezzar  murdered  him,  and  hid  his 


The  Beni  Azalch^  49 

body  in  order  that  he  might  himself  become 
sheikh  of  the  tribe  after  my  father's  death.  But 
this  I  do  not  believe,  else  would  I  slay  myself 
rather  than  marry  him.  There  are  a  foolish  few 
who  think  Selim  is  with —  But  I  forget — the 
mullah  has  forbidden  us  to  speak  of  that. 

"  When  Selim  disappeared,  my  father  was  like 
one  distracted.  He  and  all  the  men  of  the  tribe 
searched  every  wadi  and  cave  and  earth-crevice 
for  miles  around,  ascending  even  to  the  tops  of 
the  mountains,  but  without  finding  any  trace  of 
him.  They  killed  several  horses  in  the  search. 
One  day  my  father,  followed  by  six  men,  came 
on  a  narrow  cleft  in  the  cliffs  in  a  wadi  some  miles 
distant  from  here.  There  was  a  rough  path  at 
the  bottom  of  it  leading  downwards  into  the 
earth.  My  father,  who  was  on  his  black  mare 
*  Wind  Drinker,'  rode  into  this  gorge,  following 
the  path,  with  his  men  behind  him.  They  had 
not  gone  far  when  the  hearts  of  the  men  follow- 
ing him  began  to  fail  them,  for  the  path  grew 
darker  and  darker  because  of  the  height  of  the 
cliffs  above  them,  till  they  could  scarcely  see  their 
horses'  heads.  The  gorge  was  full  of  'daughters  of 
the  voice,'*  who  mocked  them  when  they  spoke, 
and  jin  sat  on  the  ledges  above  and  threw  down 
stones  on  them.  And  as  they  rode  down  the 
ever-descending  path  it  grew  hotter  and  hotter, 
till   they  began  to  fear  that  their  horses'  hoofs 

*  Echoes.  .a^^^^^'-^J^^ 

[UHIVBRSITTJ 


50  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

would  melt,  and  the  sweat  dripped  from  them 
through  the  heat  and  from  fear.  At  length  the 
six  men  drew  rein  and  cried  to  my  father  that  it 
was  the  road  to  hell,  and  that  they  would  go  no  far- 
ther. But  he  paid  no  heed  to  them  and  rode  on. 
Then  those  cowards  turned  their  mares*  heads 
and  galloped  back  to  the  camp,  with  the  news 
that  the  sheikh  had  descended  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth  by  a  perilous  path,  dark  as  night  and 
full  of  jin.  Some  of  our  people  went  at  once  to 
the  mouth  of  the  gorge  and  waited  there  for  my 
father's  return.  On  the  third  day  he  came  out 
on  foot,  looking  like  a  dead  man  that  walked. 
He  could  scarcely  stand,  was  shrunk  to  the 
bones,  and  dying  of  hunger  and  thirst.  They 
brought  him  to  the  camp,  and  by  careful  tending 
his  life  was  saved,  but  his  reason  had  departed. 
From  that  day  to  this  he  has  not  known  any  of 
us,  even  me,  his  own  daughter,  nor  spoken  a 
word.  We  hoped  that  with  his  strength  his  rea- 
son would  return  to  him,  but  it  has  not  been  so  : 
he  is  now  as  he  was  then.  A  party  of  our  people 
went  some  moons  ago  to  Damascus  and  brought 
back  with  them  the  learned  mfillah  who  is  now 
in  the  camp,  in  order  that  he  may  cure  the  sheikh. 
The  holy  man  has  already  begun  the  necessary 
ceremonies.  Please  God,  my  father  will  soon  be 
well  again." 

"  It  was  very  strange  that  your  brother  should 
disappear  so  completely,"  observed  Yorke  ;  "  are 


The  Beni  Azalch.^  51 

you  sure  that  he  was  not  carried  off  by  some 
wild  beast  ?  " 

"  There  are  no  wild  beasts  here,  my  lord ;  and 
moreover,  had  he  been  killed  by  one,  our  people 
would  certainly  have  found  the  remains  of  his 
body  or  clothes." 

It  was  evident  that  the  girl  had  loved  her 
young  brother  very  deeply  and  felt  his  loss 
keenly,  for  her  voice  broke  when  speaking  of  him, 
and  tears  stood  in  her  dark  eyes.  Yorke  felt  for 
her,  and  in  order  to  change  the  current  of  her 
thoughts  began  to  talk  about  his  art. 

Though  the  artist  spoke  Arabic  in  Egyptian 
fashion,  pronouncing  his  "  g's  "  hard,  and  though 
Ay^da  used  many  expressions  peculiar  to  the 
desert,  the  Englishman  and  the  Arab  girl  had  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  each  other.  In  talking 
to  the  young  man,  Ayeda  showed  no  shame- 
facedness  or  mock-modesty.  She  was  quite 
aware  that  her  people  would  regard  her  conduct 
with  strong  disapproval  at  the  least,  but  she  had 
such  faith  in  the  honor  of  Englishmen  that  she 
felt  no  shame  in  disregarding  conventionality. 
The  younger  girl  Feydeh  sat  listening  to  their 
talk  deeply  interested,  and  feeling  delightfully 
bold  and  wicked.  The  conversation  was  sud- 
denly and  rudely  interrupted. 

"Infidel  dog!  what  are  you  doing  here?" 
shouted  a  loud,  strident  voice ;  and  El  Jezzar 
stood  before   them,  brandishing  his  khanjar,  his 


52  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

face  distorted  with  rage.  He  had  crept  up 
unseen  and  unheard,  and  his  jealous  fury  at  find- 
ing the  girl  betrothed  to  him  talking  in  private 
with  the  young  Englishman,  showed  itself  in 
every  line  of  his  evil  face.  Yorke  did  not  rise  on 
seeing  him  or  reply  to  his  abusive  interrogation, 
but,  putting  up  his  eye-glass,  gazed  at  him  with 
calm  face.  El  Jezzar  seemed  somewhat  taken 
aback  by  the  artist's  cool  reception  of  him. 

"  Have  you  dared  to  meet  this  Frank  dog  in 
secret,  O  shameless  one  !  Would  that  I  had  a 
stick  that  I  might  break  it  over  your  back,  O 
creature  of  infamy ! "  he  shouted,  turning  on 
Ay^da.  The  girl,  though  her  eyes  flashed,  did 
not  look  at  him,  or  make  any  reply.  Infuriated 
by  her  contemptuous  silence,  the  fellow  began  to 
abuse  her  in  foul  terms,  making  such  charges 
against  her  in  the  coarsest  language  that  Yorke 
grew  hot  with  shame  and  anger.  Fearing  that 
the  ruffian  would  strike  her,  and  being  resolved 
not  to  allow  him  to  do  so,  he  slipped  his  hand 
into  his  pocket  and  drew  out  his  revolver.  The 
sight  of  the  weapon  had  an  immediate  effect  on 
the  raging  Arab.  He  stopped  flourishing  his 
khanjar,  and  his  language  took  a  different  tone. 

"Go  you  back  to  the  camp,  girl,"  he  ordered 
sullenly.  "  I  will  afterwards  speak  to  you  of 
this  matter." 

Casting  a  scornful  glance  at  him,  Ay^da  rose 
silently  and   moved  off   with   stately  composure, 


The  Bern  A^aleh^  53 

with  Feydeh  clinging  to  her,  frightened  and 
crying.  As  soon  as  they  were  gone  Yorke,  after 
yawning  with  exaggerated  deliberation,  picked 
up  his  sketching  things  and  strolled  leisurely  off 
to  the  camp.  El  Jezzar  followed  him  with  scowl- 
ing face  ;  and  though  the  artist  thought  it  not 
impossible  that  the  scoundrel  might  stab  him  in 
the  back,  he  did  not  take  the  slightest  notice  of 
him.  Nevertheless  he  felt  relieved  when  he 
reached  the  camp  and  the  fellow  left  him  and 
went  off  to  the  sheikh's  tent,  frowning  fiercely 
and  muttering  threats.  Yorke  found  Aylward 
just  returned  from  his  unsuccessful  search  for 
ibex,  and  at  once  told  him  all  that  had  taken 
place. 

"  I  warned  you  how  it  would  be  if  you  at- 
tempted to  speak  to  the  girl,"  said  his  friend, 
with  a  disgusted  air.  "  I  suppose  there  will  be  a 
row  now.  It  is  a  pity  you  were  not  content  to 
worship  your  dusky  divinity  from  afar." 

"  I'm  sorry,  Hal ;  but  I  didn't  think  there  was 
any  harm  in  speaking  to  her,  considering  how 
many  girls  I've  chatted  with  and  chaffed  in  the 
camp  here." 

"  There  is  a  good  deal  of  difference,  my  young 
friend,  between  talking  to  an  ordinary  girl  in  the 
camp  and  meeting  the  daughter  of  the  sheikh  in 
private  outside.  However,  I'm  afraid  your  artis- 
tic appreciation  of  Oriental  beauty  is  too  strong 
for  you,  and   you'll  go  on  discovering  peerless 


54  The  Findingf  of  Lot's  Wife. 

brown  maidens  and  getting  into  trouble  with 
their  male  belongings  to  the  end  of  our  travels." 

The  two  men  called  in  the  dragoman  and 
informed  him  of  what  had  happened.  He  looked 
very  blank  at  first,  on  hearing  of  El  Jezzars 
anger  and  threats,  and  gave  his  masters  to  under- 
stand that  Yorke's  indiscretion  might  produce 
very  grave  results,  but  took  a  more  cheerful  view 
of  the  incident  on  reflection. 

"  T'ese  Arab  peoples  wort'less,  quite  wort'less," 
he  observed.  "You  give  them  'nough  money 
and  t'ey  let  you  do  any  mortil  t'ing — cut  t'eir 
mothers*  t'roats  if  you  like.  You  give  El  Jezzar 
two — t'ree  pounds,  and  he  sell  t'at  girl  to  you, 
Mr.'Yok." 

"By  Jove!  that's  a  new  idea,  Georgis.  You 
must  buy  her  for  me,  cheap,"  said  Yorke  gravely. 
"  I'll  take  her  home  and  make  my  fortune  out  of 
her  by  hiring  her  out  as  a  model." 

The  dragoman  looked  doubtingly  at  him, 
evidently  puzzled  to  know  whether  he  was  in 
earnest  or  not ;  but,  seeing  Aylward  smile,  he 
realized  that  the  artist  was  joking. 

"  You  talking  funny,  Mr.  Yok.  English  gen- 
tlemen not  buying  Arab  girls,"  he  observed, 
grinning.  "  But  I  go  now  and  see  what  t'ey 
talking  in  the  tents,  and  come  back  soon  and 
tell,"  he  added  and  departed. 

It  was  dark  when  he  returned  ;  but  the  news 
he  brought  was  reassuring.     He  had  learned,  he 


The  Beni  Azaleh*  55 

said,  that  El  Jezzar  had  summoned  all  the  lead- 
ing men  to  the  sheikh's  tent,  and  had  informed 
them  how  he  had  found  one  of  the  two  Franks 
then  in  the  camp — he  who  the  people  called  El 
Hakim,  and  who  violated  the  ordinances  of  Allah 
by  impiously  painting  pictures — talking  to  the 
daughter  of  the  sheikh,  who,  they  were  aware, 
had  been  promised  to  him  in  marriage.  He  had 
represented  Yorke's  conduct  as  not  only  a  dis- 
honor to  himself,  but  also  an  insult  to  the  whole 
tribe,  and  had  demanded  his  punishment.  This 
view  of  the  matter  had  not  commended  itself  to 
the  meeting.  It  was  the  general  opinion  that,  if 
anyone  was  to  blame,  it  was  the  girl  for  not 
running  away  when  the  hakim  spoke  to  her  so 
far  from  the  camp.  It  was  pointed  out  that 
Yorke  had  been  allowed  to  talk  freely  with  all 
the  women  and  girls  in  the  camp,  and  that  he 
had  not  done  or  said  anything  in  the  least  offen- 
sive;  also  that  he  had  been  very  kind  to  the 
children,  and  had  relieved  the  sufferings  of  many 
of  their  sick  by  his  medical  arts.  It  was  obvious, 
they  said,  that  he  was  a  good  man,  and  they 
refused  to  allow  him  to  be  injured  in  any  way  ;  but 
recommended  that  the  girl  should  be  given  a  beat- 
ing to  teach  her  to  be  more  modest  in  future. 

'*  Good  God  !  I  hope  the  brutes  won't  thrash 
the  poor  girl !  That  must  be  stopped  at  all 
hazards  !  "  exclaimed  Yorke  indignantly,  spring- 
ing to  his  feet. 


$6  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

*^Do  not  be  frightened  for  tat,  Mr.  Yok. 
T'ey  will  not  touch  her.  It  is  only  Arab  talk," 
said  the  dragoman  soothingly. 

He  went  on  to  say  that  El  Jezzar  had  continued 
to  rage  and  to  demand  satisfaction  for  his 
wounded  honor,  and  the  meeting  had  at  length 
decided  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  decision  of 
the  mullah.  The  holy  man  had  approved  of  the 
opinion  expressed  by  the  meeting  that  no  vio- 
lence should  be  offered  to  the  artist  as  a  guest  of 
the  tribe,  but  directed  that  the  strangers  should. 
be  sent  away  honorably  as  soon  as  possible.  It 
had  then  been  decided  that  the  two  Englishmen 
and  their  servants  should  be  escorted  next  morning 
to  some  place,  apparently  in  the  neighborhood, 
but  the  exact  locality  of  which  the  dragoman 
was  not  able  to  learn. 

"  It  strikes  me,  Noel,  that  we  have  got  out  of 
this  mess  pretty  well.  Let  it  be  a  warning  to 
you,  my  susceptible  young  friend,"  observed 
Aylward. 

"  I  do  hope  that  they  won't  ill-treat  that  poor 
girl,  Hal.  It  makes  me  miserable  to  think  that 
they  may  beat  her  because  she  allowed  me  to 
talk  to  her !  "  exclaimed  Yorke  ruefully. 

"Wat  for  you  troubling,  Mr.  Yok?  Little 
"beating  good  for  girls,"  remarked  the  dragoman. 

"You're  a  brute,  Georgis  !  "  retorted  the  artist 
angrily. 


CHAPTER  V* 
A  Disappointingf  Discovery. 

Very  early  next  morning  Aylward  and  Yorke 
were  awakened  by  the  dragoman  entering  the 
tent  with  a  lantern. 

"  El  Jezzar  and  some  of  the  other  Arabs  wait- 
ing to  see  my  masters,"  he  announced. 

"What's  the  time,  Georgis?"  asked  Yorke 
drowsily. 

"  It  quite  dark,  Mr.  Yok,  not  enough  light  to 
tell  white  thread  from  black  one." 

"  They  are  in  a  mighty  hurry  to  get  rid  of  us," 
grumbled  Aylward. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  two  men  were  dressed, 
and  went  out  to  interview  El  Jezzar  and  his  fol- 
lowing. The  Arabs,  wrapped  in  their  'abaiyehs 
and  mounted  and  armed,  were  waiting  in  silence 
before  the  tent,  a  disquieting  sight  in  the  dim 
light. 
•  "  Peace  be   to   you,  brothers !  why   have   you 


$8  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wiic 

roused  us  so  early  ?  "  demanded  Yorke  in  Arabic. 
One  of  the  hooded  horsemen,  whom  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  recognizing  from  his  harsh  voice  to 
be  El  Jezzar,  replied  gruffly — 

"  The  Beni  Azaleh  have  decided  that  it  is  not 
for  the  welfare  of  the  tribe  that  Frank  strangers 
should  continue  to  reside  among  them.  We 
have  therefore  been  deputed  to  escort  you  and 
your  servants  and  baggage  out  of  the  camp." 

"Where  do  you  intend  to  take  us?  "  asked  the 
artist. 

El  Jezzar  made  no  reply. 

"  The  fellow  won't  say  what  they  are  going  to 
do  with  us,  which  looks  as  if  they  meant  mis- 
chief," remarked  Yorke,  turning  to  his  friend. 

"  We  can't  help  ourselves ; — we  are  in  their 
power,  and  must  consent  to  anything  they  pro- 
pose," replied  Aylward.  "  I  fancy  they  will  take 
us  a  mile  or  two  from  the  camp,  and  then  leave 
us  to  find  our  way  back  to  Mar  Saba  as  best  we 
can.  You  had  better  tell  them  that  we  shall  be 
ready  to  start  in  a  few  minutes." 

Yorke  did  so,  and  El  Jezzar  grunted  some  in- 
articulate response. 

The  two  men  then  retired  to  their  tent,  where 
Hanna  the  cook  brought  them  biscuits  and 
coffee.  They  made  a  good  meal  by  lamplight, 
being  in  doubt  as  to  when  they  might  be  able  to 
eat  and  drink  again.  When  they  had  finished, 
the  tent  was  struck  and  the  baggage  donkeys 


A  Disappointing  Disco  very*  59 

loaded.  The  horses  and  riding  donkeys,  which 
had  quite  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of  the 
journey  from  Mar  Saba,  were  then  saddled  and 
led  up.  Day  had  just  begun  to  dawn  when  the 
party  started. 

El  Jezzar  and  his  companions,  half  a  score  in 
number,  rode  in  front  with  the  Englishmen,  and 
their  servants  behind  them,  and  the  baggage 
donkeys  in  the  rear,  driven  by  two  or  three 
youths  on  foot.  As  they  rode  through  the  camp, 
they  could  hear  the  voices  of  people  just  awak- 
ened from  sleep.  Men  and  women  came  to  the 
doors  of  their  tents,  on  hearing  the  hoof  beats  of  the 
cavalcade,  and  gazed  sleepily  after  them.  Yorke 
glanced  eagerly  about  him,  hoping  to  see  Ayeda 
peeping  out  from  one  of  the  tents,  but  she  did 
not  show  herself.  The  thought  that  the  slender, 
graceful  creature  might  be  cruelly  beaten  that 
day,  because  she  had  listened  when  he  talked  to 
her,  troubled  the  artist  greatly,  and  he  more  than 
once  drew  rein  with  the  intention  of  turning 
back  and  appealing  to  the  men  of  the  tribe  to 
prevent  the  brutality  ;  but,  realizing  on  reflection 
that  his  interference  would  probably  only  make 
matters  worse  for  the  girl,  he  rode  on,  comforting 
himself  with  the  thought  that  her  relatives  would 
content  themselves  with  scolding  and  abusing 
her,  as  the  dragoman  had  assured  him  they 
would.  As  they  passed  through  the  camp.  El 
Jezzar  every  now  and  then   turned  in  his  saddle 


6o  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wifc^ 

and  glared  fiercely  at  him.  He  seemed  to  under- 
stand what  the  artist's  motive  was  in  gazing  at 
the  tents  so  keenly,  and  to  resent  the  action 
bitterly.  His  long  lance  quivered  continually  in 
his  grasp,  as  if  he  could  scarcely  restrain  himself 
from  plunging  its  sharp  point  into  the  hated 
stranger. 

After  riding  some  miles  along  rock-strewn 
wadis  and  winding  gorges  on  the  red,  barren 
hills,  the  party  suddenly  emerged,  through  a 
tunnel-like  passage,  on  a  white  plain,  about  a 
mile  wide,  surrounded  by  lofty  cliffs.  The  mo- 
ment they  entered  the  plain,  Yorke  gave  a  shout 
of  surprise  and  rapture — 

"  Great  Caesar !  Look,  Hal,  look  ! — the  Mon- 
astery of  St.  Lot !  " 

Near  the  centre  of  the  plain  stood  a  great 
isolated  pinnacle  of  rock,  some  two  hundred  feet 
high,  with  perpendicular  sides.  Though  it 
seemed  inaccessible,  it  was  nevertheless  crowned 
with  buildings,  the  white  walls  and  red  roofs  of 
which  were  brilliantly  illuminated  by  the  sun- 
beams streaming  over  the  eastern  cliffs.  The 
monastery — for  such  it  obviously  was — was 
perched  on  a  ledge  near  the  top,  with  a  great 
round  rock  rising  above  it.  It  was  of  consider- 
able extent,  consisting  of  a  picturesque  main 
building,  surmounted  by  a  dome,  and  detached 
houses  and  towers  here  and  there  clinging  to  the 
rock,  wherever   there  was   space  to  build.      An 


A  Disappointing^  Discovery*  6i 

irregularly  built  parapet  wall  ran  round  the  sum- 
mit along  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  A  number 
of  large  trees  were  growing  among  the  buildings. 
The  two  travelers  halted  abruptly  to  gaze  on  this 
unexpected  but  welcome  sight. 

The  Beni  Azaleh  had  shown  no  surprise 
on  coming  in  sight  of  the  monastery-crowned 
rock  in  the  midst  of  the  mountains.  They  had 
evidently  been  aware  of  its  existence. 

"  What  ghastly  liars  these  fellows  are  ! "  ex- 
claimed Yorke,  wrathfuUy,  alluding  to  them. 
''  They  swore  by  God  and  by  their  Prophet  that 
there  was  no  building  inhabited  by  human  beings 
anywhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  camp,  but 
it  is  obvious  from  their  demeanor  that  they  knew 
perfectly  well  of  this  place." 

"  It  is  the  wonderful  monastery  they  told  us  of 
at  Mar  Saba  right  enough  ;  it  can't  be  anything 
else,"  said  Ay  1  ward,  staring  at  the  great  rock  as 
if  he  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes. 

"  I  wonder  if  they  are  going  to  take  us  there," 
cried  his  friend,  eagerly. 

The  doubt  was  soon  solved.  El  Jezzar,  after 
a  few  moments'  discussion  with  his  tribesmen, 
turned  his  mare's  head  and  led  the  way  across 
the  plain,  going  slowly  and  cautiously.  The 
other  Arabs  followed  him,  riding  in  single  file, 
and  the  Englishmen  and  their  servants  did  the 
same,  for  they  saw  that  the  path  was  a  dangerous 
one.     It   wound   like   a   snake-track   across    the 


62  The  Finding;  of  Lot's  Wife* 

plain,  which  was  covered  with  white  salt  crystals 
and  patches  of  sulphur  efflorescence,  skirting 
brine-pools,  filled  with  blue  water  and  black  bitu- 
men-pits, from  which  rose  a  suffocating  odor. 

"  Take  care,  O  hakim !  To  fall  into  one  of 
these  subbkhas  is  death  !  "  grunted  the  rearmost 
of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  half  turning  his  head  to  speak 
to  Yorke,  who  was  behind  him.  The  dragoman, 
in  the  rear,  overheard  the  warning,  and  was 
seized  with  terror. 

"  By  God !  I  would  rather  trust  my  own  two 
legs  than  the  four  legs  of  this  pig  of  a  donkey ! 
I  will  walk,"  he  exclaimed.  He  slid  off  the  ani- 
mal's hind-quarters,  but  so  clumsily  that  he  al- 
most threw  it  down.  In  trying  to  save  itself  the 
donkey  trod  on  the  brittle  overhanging  brink  of  a 
brine-pool,  and  the  next  moment  the  poor  beast 
had  disappeared  into  its  blue  depths. 

"  Ride  on  !  ride  on  !  "  shouted  the  Arabs  on 
hearing  the  splash.  "  If  you  stop,  the  path  will 
sink  and  we  shall  all  fall  in." 

In  an  agony  of  fear  the  dragoman  seized  the 
tail  of  Aylward's  horse  and  roared  for  help. 

*'  Don't  yell  like  that,  my  man,  or  you'll  scare 
the  horses  !  Walk  quietly  behind,  and  you'll  be 
all  right,"  exclaimed  his  master.  But  the  drago- 
man had  been  too  much  startled  by  the  sudden 
disappearance  of  his  donkey  and  his  own  narrow 
escape  to  be  able  to  restrain  himself,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  utter  ejaculations  of  terror  and  horror 


A  Disappointing  Discovery.  63 

as  he  staggered  after  his  master.  No  attempt 
whatever  was  made  to  rescue  the  drowning  don- 
key. 

As  they  neared  the  lofty  rock,  Yorke,  who  was 
greatly  excited,  began  to  indulge  in  all  sorts  of 
speculations  as  to  what  they  were  about  to  dis- 
cover. He  was  more  than  half  inclined  to  believe, 
in  the  state  of  mind  he  was  in,  that  the  accounts 
the  monks  and  Arabs  of  Mar  Saba  had  given 
him  of  this  lonely  monastery  would  prove  true. 

"  I  don't  see  the  ravens,  Hal,"  he  remarked  in 
a  disappointed  tone.  "  There  ought  to  be  scores 
of  them  flying  about  the  trees  up  there." 

"  They  are  all  away — gone  to  get  food  for  the 
monks,"  returned  his  friend  dryly. 

"We  ought  to  be  able  to  see  some  of  the 
monks  now,"  continued  the  artist,  gazing  up 
anxiously.  "  If  we  find  that  they  wear  clothes 
and  that  they  can  use  their  tongues,  I  shall  con- 
sider that  we  have  been  shamefully  imposed 
upon." 

At  that  moment  a  strange  clanging,  vibrating 
sound  came  from  the  monastery  above,  and  was 
echoed  by  the  surrounding  cliffs  again  and  again. 

"  There  goes  the  sacred  bell  that  the  monks 
ring  to  kee.p  the  devils  off !  "  exclaimed  Yorke 
with  delight.  ''  By  Jove,  Hal,  this  looks  as  if  we 
were  going  to  see  something  wonderful !  " 

By  this  time  they  had  crossed  the  plain  and 
had  reached  the  foot  of  the  rock  on  which  the 


64  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife» 

monastery  stood.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  them  was  a  small  tower,  built  on  two 
great  beams  that  projected  out  from  the  face  of 
the  rock.  In  the  floor  of  the  tower  overhanging 
the  precipice  was  a  closed  trap-door.  As  no  living 
thing  was  visible  the  Beni  Azaleh  shouted  long 
and  loudly,  calling  on  the  inmates  of  the  monas- 
tery to  show  themselves,  but  no  one  appeared 
and  no  voice  was  heard  in  reply.  El  Jezzar  then 
unslung  his  gun,  and,  after  several  unsuccessful 
attempts,  managed  to  fire  it  off,  rousing  count- 
less echoes. 

Suddenly,  while  the  whole  party  was  looking 
up  for  some  sign  of  life  in  the  monastery,  the  trap- 
door in  the  tower  above  was  opened,  and  a  face 
appeared  for  a  moment  looking  down  and  then 
vanished.  There  was  instantly  a  yell  of  amaze- 
ment from  all  the  Beni  Azaleh.  Though  the 
face  had  been  visible  only  for  a  second  or  two, 
too  brief  a  time  for  either  of  the  Englishmen 
to  be  able  to  say  whether  it  was  the  face  of 
a  man,  woman  or  child,  the  keen  eyes  of  the 
Arabs  had  evidently  recognized  it. 

"  Wah  !  wah  !  "  ''  By  God  !  "  ''  Saw  you  that, 
brothers  ?  "  "  Praise  be  to  God  !  "  and  other 
exclamations  of  surprise  and  joy  burst  from  their 
lips,  and  they  stared  at  one  another  with  startled 
eyes  as  if  they  had  seen  something  too  wonder- 
ful for  belief.  At  a  word  from  El  Jezzar,  who 
appeared   the  most  disturbed  of  them  all,  they 


A  Disappointingf  Discovery*  65 

rode  off,  out  of  earshot  of  the  rest  of  the  party, 
and  talked  excitedly  among  themselves-  with 
animated  gestures,  pointing  frequently  up  at  the 
monastery  with  their  lances.  El  Jezzar's  harsh 
voice  could  be  heard  reiterating  vehemently  some 
opinion  he  held.  At  length  all  the  Arabs,  to  the 
surprise  of  the  travelers  and  the  consternation 
of  their  two  servants,  wheeled  round  and  rode 
off  across  the  plain  at  a  much  faster  pace  than 
they  had  come.  They  were  followed  by  the  don- 
key-boys, who  bolted  without  a  word  of  explana- 
tion. Neither  Aylward  nor  Yorke  could  see  any 
good  reason  for  this  extraordinary  behavior  on 
the  part  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  though  it  had  obvi- 
ously been  caused  by  the  sight  of  the  face  look- 
ing through  the  trap-door. 

"  What  do  those  fellows  mean  by  leaving  us  in 
that  unceremonious  fashion,  Georgis?  What 
were  they  jabbering  about  ?  "  demanded  the  for- 
mer indignantly. 

''I  not  know,  Mr.  Ilwad,  but  I  t'ink  they 
see  one  devil  in  the  tower  up  t'ere,"  re- 
plied the  dragoman,  with  a  frightened  glance  up- 
ward. 

"  Don't  be  an  ass,  Georgis ! "  was  his  master's 
testy  rejoinder. 

Just  then  two  or  three  dark,  bearded  faces  ap~ 
peared  at  the  trap-door  above  them.  Aylward 
fancied  that  he  also  saw  a  white  face,  apparently 
that  of  a  European,  looking  down.     Presently  a 


66  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  "Wife* 

voice  was  heard,  asking  in  broken  Arabic  who 
they  were  and  what  they  wanted. 

"  They're  not  dumb,  at  any  rate  !  **  remarked 
Yorke,  disgustedly.  He  then  shouted  in  reply, 
in  the  same  language,  that  they  were  English- 
men who  had  lost  their  way,  and  that  they  craved 
the  hospitality  of  the  monks  for  themselves  and 
their  two  servants.  There  was  a  few  minutes' 
silence,  and  then  another  voice  said  distinctly  in 
excellent  English^ — 

"  A  rope  is  about  to  be  sent  down  to  you, 
gentlemen,  to  draw  you  up  into  the  monas- 
tery." 

"  Angels  and  ministers  of  grace,  defend  us ! 
Did  you  hear  that,  Hal  ?  "  ejaculated  the  artist, 
with  dismay  on  his  face. 

"  One  of  the  monks  is  an  Englishman,  I  sup- 
pose," returned  his  friend  coolly. 

"  Or  there  are  English  travelers  there,  and  we 
have  been  forestalled  in  our  discovery  of  the 
wonderful  Monastery  of  St.  Lot,"  said  Yorke,  in 
a  tone  of  deep  annoyance. 

While  they  were  speaking,  a  faint  creaking 
sound  became  audible,  and  a  long  thick  rope 
began  to  descend  slowly  through  the  trap-door 
above.  It  had  an  iron  hook  at  the  end,  from 
which  hung  a  strong  rope-net  and  a  goat's-hair 
blanket.  When  the  rope  reached  the  ground,  the 
voice  they  had  last  heard  spoke  again  in  Eng- 
lish— 


A  Disappointingf  Discovery^  67 

"  If  one  of  you  will  get  into  the  net,  he  will  be 
drawn  up." 

"  I'll  go  up  first,  if  you  don't  mind^  Hal,"  said 
Yorke,  eagerly. 

''AH  right.  I'll  follow  you.  Georgis  and 
Hanna  can  send  up  the  baggage  and  come  up 
afterwards." 

"  How  about  the  horses  and  donkeys?  I  sup- 
pose the  monks  won't  haul  them  up." 

"  We  had  better  ask  what  we  are  to  do  with 
them."  Raising  his  voice,  Aylward  asked  in 
English  whether  there  was  any  place  below 
where  they  could  leave  the  animals.  After  a  few 
moments'  silence  the  voice  from  above  said — 

"  The  monks  say  that  you  will  find  a  cave  in 
the  face  of  the  cliff,  a  little  to  the  east,  where 
you  can  tether  them." 

"  The  fellow  is  a  traveler  like  ourselves,  con- 
found him  !  I  wonder  if  there  are  any  more  of 
them,"  exclaimed  Yorke,  on  hearing  this. 

Having  unsaddled  the  horses  and  riding- 
donkeys,  and  unladen  the  baggage  animals,  the 
two  men,  assisted  by  the  dragoman  and  cook, 
led  them  to  the  cave  indicated,  which  was  close 
at  hand.  It  had  been  converted  into  rude  stables, 
but  there  was  no  sign  that  they  had  ever  been 
occupied  by  any  animal.  Posts  had  been  driven 
into  the  floor,  to  which  the  travelers  tethered  the 
horses  and  donkeys. 

Yorke  now  made  ready  to  ascend  to  the  monas- 


68  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

tery.  The  rope  net  was  laid  on  the  ground  with 
the  blanket  spread  over  it,  and  the  artist  having 
seated  himself,  his  friend  caught  up  the  outer 
meshes  of  the  net  and  slipped  them  on  to  the 
hook.  He  then  signaled  to  the  monks  above, 
and  Yorke  was  drawn  up,  tightly  enveloped  in 
the  net.  As  he  ascended  he  revolved  slowly  and 
bumped  softly  every  now  and  then  against  the 
face  of  the  rock.  Once  or  twice  the  rope  gave  a 
jerk  which  sent  his  heart  into  his  mouth.  The 
dragoman  and  cook  gazed  up  after  him,  uttering 
ejaculations  of  surprise  and  horror.  The  pros- 
pect of  having  to  ascend  in  the  same  perilous 
fashion  filled  them  with  dismay. 

On  being  drawn  up  into  the  tower,  through  the 
trap-door,  Yorke  felt  himself  grasped  by  half-a- 
dozen  hands,  dragged  to  one  side,  and  gently  de- 
posited on  the  floor.  He  was  then  released  from 
the  rope-net,  and  at  once  sprang  to  his  feet.  As 
he  did  so  he  heard  himself  addressed  in  English, 
and  became  aware  that  an  old  man,  in  semi- 
European  costume  and  wearing  colored  glasses, 
was  holding  out  his  hand  to  him.  The  stranger 
was  rather  short  and  spare,  with  a  thin  intellectual 
face  and  a  long  gray  beard. 

"  Permit  me  to  introduce  myself,  sir — Professor 
Abraham  Payne,  of  Clarksonville  University, 
Illinois/'  said  the  stranger,  in  a  slightly  nasal 
voice,  which  betrayed  his  nationality. 

"  Delighted  to   make  your  acquaintance.   Pro- 


A  Disappointing^  Discovery*  69 

fessor.  My  name  is  Noel  Yorke,"  returned  the 
artist,  shaking  hands  with  him,  and  then  looking 
round  him  with  eager  curiosity.  In  a  moment 
all  his  preconceived  ideas  and  hopes  were  dashed 
to  the  ground.  One  glance  was  sufficient  to 
show  him  that  the  monks  of  the  Monastery  of 
St.  Lot  were  not  the  centuries-old,  naked,  hairy 
ascetics  they  had  been  represented  to  be.  There 
were  about  a  dozen  of  them  present,  only  one  of 
whom  was  aged  ;  the  rest,  with  the  exception  of 
one  young  man,  being  men  of  middle  age.  They 
all  wore  long,  dark  robes,  bound  with  camel-hair 
girdles,  and  had  on  their  heads  strangely-shaped 
hats  with  flanged  tops.  All  were  barefooted, 
and  wore  long  hair  and  beards,  and  looked  as  if 
personal  cleanliness  was  not  one  of  their  monastic 
rules. 

"  This,  sir,  is  Father  Polycarp,  the  hegoumenos 
or  superior.  He  wishes  me  to  say  that  the 
Brotherhood  of  St.  Lot  welcome  you  and  your 
friend  to  their  monastery,"  said  Professor  Payne 
to  Yorke,  indicating  one  of  them. 

The  hegoumenos  was  a  portly,  elderly  man, 
with  good  features  and  a  beard  of  unusual  length. 
There  was  nothing  in  his  dress  to  distinguish  him 
from  the  other  monks.  He  made  a  dignified, 
courteous  gesture  and  bowed  gravely  on  hearing 
himself  named.  Yorke  was  then  introduced  to 
Brother  Sophronius,  the  patriarch  of  the  monas- 
tery, whose  snowy  beard,  almost  sightless  eyes, 


70  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

and  trembling  limbs  bore  out  the  Professor's 
statement  that  it  was  over  seventy  years  since  he 
had  joined  the  brotherhood.  All  the  other 
monks  were  then  made  known  to  the  artist  by 
name,  and  the  monastic  office  and  duties  of  each 
explained  to  him.  Yorke  was  amazed  to  see 
that,  though  the  visits  of  strangers  to  the 
monastery  must  have  been  extremely  rare,  not 
one  of  the  monks  showed  the  least  excitement, 
pleasure,  or  curiosity,  or  said  a  word.  Each  one 
wore  a  solemn,  sorrowful  expression  of  face,  as  if 
he  had  some  unshriven  sin  on  his  conscience. 

While  these  grave  courtesies  were  being  ex- 
changed, the  monks  had  again  let  down  the  rope. 
It  passed  round  a  large  windlass  standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  tower  and  securely  fastened  to  the 
floor  and  roof-timbers.  It  was  turned  with  bars 
by  half-a-dozen  monks,  while  two  others  watched 
at  the  trap-door  and  directed  their  movements. 
Presently  the  monks  began  to  turn  the  creaking 
capstan,  and  in  a  couple  of  minutes  Aylward  ap- 
peared, enveloped  in  the  net,  with  the  stolid 
look  on  his  face  that  an  Englishman  puts  on 
when  anything  unusual  is  happening  to  him.  His 
friend  helped  him  to  his  feet  and  introduced  him 
to  Professor  Payne,  who  presented  him  to  the 
hegoumenos  and  the  rest  of  the  monks.  Ayl- 
ward expressed  no  surprise  or  curiosity,  for  it 
had  seemed  to  his  strong  common  sense  to  be 
impossible  that  the  monastery  should  be  tenanted 


A  Disappointingf  Discovery^  71 

by  any  but  human  beings  of  ordinary  appearance 
and  habits,  and  it  did  not  seem  to  him  a  matter 
for  surprise  that  other  European  travelers  should 
have  found  their  way  there. 

When  the  introductions  were  over,  the  rope 
was  again  lowered,  and  all  the  baggage  of  the 
travelers  having  been  packed  into  the  net  by 
their  servants  was  hoisted  up.  Hanna  the  cook 
was  then  drawn  up,  and  was  followed  by  the 
dragoman,  who  had  himself  to  slip  the  meshes  of 
the  net  in  which  he  sat  over  the  hook  at  the  end 
of  the  rope.  His  terror  lest  the  net  should  slip 
and  he  should  fall  out  was  excessive,  and  he  ar- 
rived in  the  tower  in  a  pitiable  state,  trembling 
exceedingly  and  bathed  in  perspiration.  The 
fervency  of  his  self-congratulations  on  his  safe 
ascent  was  greatly  damped  by  the  thought  that 
he  would  have  to  return  the  same  way. 

"  By  my  father's  beard  !  "  he  muttered  to  him- 
self in  Arabic,  "  I  will  become  a  monk  and  stay 
here  the  rest  of  my  days,  for  go  back  that  way  I 
will  not,  though  my  tarbush  be  filled  with  gold 
pieces ! " 


CHAPTER  VI- 

The  Pfofesson 

When  the  two  Englishmen,  their  servants,  and 
their  baggage  had  all  been  drawn  up  by  the  wind- 
lass into  the  monastery,  Father  Polycarp,  address- 
ing Aylward  and  Yorke  in  Greek,  Professor  Payne 
acting  as  interpreter,  informed  them  that  a  cham- 
ber had  been  got  ready  for  them,  to  which  he 
would  conduct  them  if  they  would  honor  him  by 
accompanying  him.  Guided  by  the  portly  hegou- 
menos,  and  followed  by  the  dragoman,  the  cook 
and  some  of  the  monks  carrying  their  baggage, 
the  travelers  and  the  Professor  passed  out  of  the 
tower,  up  some  stone  steps  and  through  an  arch- 
way cut  in  the  solid  rock,  to  a  small  building 
standing  on  the  very  verge  of  the  precipice,  and 
opening  on  a  shady  cloister.  It  contained  only 
one  dark  room,  with  a  stone  divan  running  round 
three  sides  of  it,  and  had  small  windows,  an 
earthen   floor,  and  whitewashed   walls.     It   was 


The  Profcs^^^^i^^^ 

bare  of  furniture  or  ornaments,  witlTnie  excep- 
tion of  a  small  low  table,  about  a  foot  from  the 
ground,  and  a  picture  of  a  hard-featured  saint 
painted  on  wood.  All  the  baggage  having  been 
put  into  the  room,  Father  Polycarp  expressed  the 
hope,  through  the  Professor,  that  they  would  be 
comfortable,  and  took  his  departure,  but  returned 
for  a  moment  to  say  that  the  mid-day  meal  would 
be  ready  shortly. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  surprised  to  see  us.  Profes- 
sor ?  "  remarked  Yorke,  seating  himself  on  the 
stone  divan,  the  old  savant  and  Aylward  doing 
the  same,  while  the  dragoman  and  cook  busied 
themselves  in  unpacking  the  saddle-bags. 

*'  Not  more  so,  I  think,  than  you  were  on  find- 
ing us — me  here,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 

'*  That's  true  enough.  To  tell  you  the  truth, 
we  not  only  did  not  expect  to  find  any  traveler 
here,  but  almost  thought,  froni  the  extraor- 
dinary stories  we  had  been  told  about  the  place, 
that  it  would  prove  to  be  tenanted  by  naked, 
hirsute  monks,  hundreds  of  years  old,  who  had 
lost  the  power  of  speech  !  "  said  the  artist,  laugh- 
ing. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  strangest  communities  of  re- 
cluses I  ever  met  with,  though  happily  not  so  ex- 
traordinary as  you  had  imagined,"  remarked  the 
old  man. 

"  How  did  you  find  your  way  here.  Professor? 
as  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  the  existence 


74  The  Findingf  of  Lofs  "Wife. 

of  this  monastery  is  only  known  to  the  outer 
world  by  the  vaguest  rumors." 

"  It  was  partly  through  an  accident  that  we 
discovered  the  place." 

"  We  !  "  repeated  Yorke.  "  Are  you  not  alone 
here  then  ?  " 

*'  No,  my  daughter  is  with  me." 

"Your  daughter!"  ejaculated  the  artist, 
while  Aylward's  face  showed  his  surprise. 
'^  Excuse  my  rude  exclamation,  but  I  thought 
that  these  celibate  monks  would  not  permit 
females,  even  of  animals,  to  enter  their  monas- 
teries !  " 

"  That  is  true,  sir,  but  they  think  my  daughter 
to  be  a  boy." 

"  Is  she  dressed  as  one  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Pardon  the  question,  Professor,  but  how  old 
is  she?" 

"Nineteen." 

"  Great  Caes We   shall    have  the  pleasure 

of  seeing  Miss  Payne,  I  hope." 

"  She  will  not  come  out  of  her  room  till  the 
evening,  for  she  feels  a  very  natural  reluctance  to 
appear  before  two  young  gentlemen  in  the  dress 
that  circumstances  have  forced  her  to  adopt,  and 
which  she  dislikes  extremely." 

"  Well,  this  is  the  strangest  of  all  the  strange 
experiences  of  the  morning !  Who  would  have 
dreamt  of  meeting  a  young  lady  here?" 


The  Professor*  75 

"  My  daughter  has  been  with  me  in  many 
strange  places,  poor  child." 

*'  I  hope  you  will  not  think  my  curiosity  imper- 
tinent,  Professor,  but  I  should  very  much  like  to 
know  what  brought  you  here,  and  how  it  is  that 
your  daughter  is  with  you." 

"  I  will  tell  you  with  pleasure,  Mr.  Yorke,  but 
I  must  first  explain  what  my  vocation  is.  The 
past  fifteen  years  of  my  life  have  been  spent  in 
wandering  about  the  East  searching  for  the 
many  almost  unknown  monasteries  which  exist  in 
remote  mountains  and  deserts,  in  order  to  inspect 
their  literary  treasures.  About  three  years  ago 
I  went  to  England  to  see  my  daughter,  Isha,  my 
only  child,  and  made  the  surprising  discovery — 
though  it  will,  no  doubt,  seem  absurd  to  you — 
that  she  had  grown  up,  in  my  absence,  to  be  a 
young  woman,  too  old  to  remain  at  school.  As 
she  had  no  mother — my  wife,  who  was  an  Eng- 
lishwoman, having  died  in  giving  birth  to  her — 
and  as  I  had  no  relatives  with  whom  I  could 
leave  her,  I  determined  to  take  her  back  with  me 
to  the  East  to  be  my  companion  on  my  travels. 
It  was  not  till  we  arrived  in  Abyssinia  that  I  real- 
ized what  a  mistake  I  had  made.  I  had  not  fore- 
seen in  my  foolishness  that  the  companionship  of 
a  girl  would  be  an  obstacle  to  my  studies,  as  she 
would  not  be  admitted  to  the  monasteries  in 
which  they  were  carried  on.  I  was  considering 
what  to  do,  when  my  daughter,  who  had  discov- 


76  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

ered  my  dilemma,  suggested  that  she  should 
dress  as  a  boy,  in  which  guise  she  could  safely 
accompany  me.  I  consented,  after  some  little 
demur,  thinking  that  as  we  should  meet  only 
ignorant  monks,  and  few  if  any  people  of  our  own 
class,  it  was  immaterial  what  dress  she  wore.  I  did 
not  at  all  understand  the  sacrifice  of  her  feelings 
that  she  had  made,  but  actually  supposed  that  she 
would  find  childish  pleasure  in  masquerading  in 
boy's  clothes. 

**  For  a  time  all  seemed  to  go  well.  We  visited 
several  monasteries,  and  my  daughter's  disguise 
was  not  suspected.  The  life  we  were  forced  to 
lead  must  have  been  a  very  trying  one  to  a  young 
girl,  but  she  made  no  complaint,  and  I  had  no 
idea  that  she  was  unhappy.  One  day,  however, 
I  found  her  in  tears,  and  was  distressed  beyond 
measure  to  discover  how  acutely  she  was  suffer- 
ing. She  loathed  the  unmaidenly  part  she  had 
to  play,  and  was  pining  for  the  society  of  her 
own  sex.  All  those  months  she  had  been  hiding 
her  real  feelings  from  me  lest  she  should  inter- 
rupt my  studies.  I  tell  you  all  this,  gentlemen, 
that  you  may  see  that  it  was  simply  love  for  her 
old  father  which  led  her  to  adopt  male  costume." 

"  You  are  much  to  be  congratulated  on  your 
daughter,  Professor!"  interrupted  Aylward 
warmly. 

"  A  girl  of  a  thousand  !  "  added  Yorke. 

"  Thank  you,  gentlemen,"  said  the   old   man, 


The  Professor*  77 

with  a  pleased  smile,  taking  off  his  glasses,  which 
had  become  dimmed,  and  wiping  them. 

"At  the  time  I  made  this  discovery,"  he  con- 
tinued, '*  circumstances  made  it  impossible  for 
me  to  change  my  plans,  but  about  three  months 
ago  I  found  myself  free  to  return  home,  and 
started  at  once,  being  anxious  to  take  my  daugh- 
ter back  to  civilized  life  as  soon  as  possible.  We 
were  then  at  a  remote  monastery  in  an  oasis  of 
the  Nefood  Desert ;  and  the  Bedawin  having  in- 
formed us  that  the  nearest  way  to  Jerusalem  lay 
through  these  mountains,  we  came  this  way. 
We,  however,  lost  ourselves  among  the  wadis  and 
wandered  about  in  great  danger  of  dying  of 
thirst,  when,  through  the  providential  straying  of 
one  of  our  camels,  we  discovered  this  valley.  At 
sight  of  the  monastery  the  Bedawin  with  us,  who 
were  our  only  attendants,  were  thunderstruck, 
and  swore  that  the  buildings  we  saw  were  not 
real,  but  were  built  of  air  by  evil  spirits  to  lure 
belated  travelers  to  destruction.  They  positively 
refused  to  approach  the  rock,  preferring  to  run 
the  risk  of  perishing  among  these  barren,  water- 
less mountains  rather  than  go  near  to  it.  Ac- 
cordingly my  daughter  and  I  left  them,  and  made 
our  way  across  the  plain  on  foot  to  the  monastery, 
carrying  a  few  necessaries  with  us.  We  were 
hospitably  received  by  the  monks,  and  have  re- 
mained here  ever  since.  The  Bedawin  who  had 
come  with  us  no  doubt  gave  us  up  for  lost,  for 


78  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

next  morning  they  had  disappeared,  taking  all 
our  belongings  with  them.  Being  thus  deprived 
of  the  means  of  continuing  our  journey,  we  had 
almost  begun  to  fear  that  we  should  have  to  end 
our  days  here,  for  we  soon  discovered  that  we 
were  the  first  visitors  to  the  monastery  within  the 
memory  of  any  of  the  monks.  You  may  there- 
fore imagine  with  what  pleasure  we  learned  of  your 
arrival,  for  we  thought  you  would  not  refuse  to 
allow  us  to  accompany  you  when  you  resumed 
your  journey." 

"We  shall  be  very  pleased  indeed,  if  you  and 
Miss  Payne  will  join  us,"  said  Aylward,  speaking 
as  the  leader  of  the  party ;  "  but  the  fact  is,  we 
are  almost  as  badly  off  as  you  are,  for,  though  we 
have  horses  and  donkeys  and  provisions,  we  have 
no  guides  to  show  us  the  way  out  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  shall  probably  have  to  find  it  for  our- 
selves." He  then  gave  Professor  Payne  some 
account  of  himself  and  Yorke,  and  of  their  jour- 
neyings  during  the  past  few  months,  and  of  their 
recent  adventures  among  the  Beni  Azaleh. 

While  he  was  speaking  the  loud  clanging  noise 
they  had  heard  while  at  the  foot  of  the  rock, 
again  arose,  and  they  could  hear  its  echoes 
booming  in  the  distance. 

"  They  are  striking  the  semandron  as  a  signal 
that  the  mid-day  meal  is  ready,"  remarked  the 
Professor,  seeing  the  surprise  of  the  other  two  at 
the  strange  sound. 


The  Professor*  79 

"  What  is  a  semandron  ?  "  asked  Yorke. 

'*It  is  a  beam  of  hard,  sonorous  wood  that  is 
hung  from  a  tree  in  the  courtyard  and  is  pounded 
with  a  mallet.  The  monks  use  it  instead  of  a 
bell.  If  you  are  ready,  I  will  conduct  you  to  the 
refectory." 

The  two  young  men  hastily  changed  their 
travel-soiled  dress  for  clean  garments  ;  and  having 
washed  in  a  brass  basin  of  cool,  clean  water 
brought  by  the  dragoman,  declared  themselves 
to  be  ready  to  follow  the  old  man. 

The  refectory  was  close  at  hand.  It  was  a 
large,  crypt-like  apartment,  with  arched  roof, 
stone-paved  floor,  and  narrow  windows.  A  long 
table  stood  in  it,  at  which  the  monks  were  al- 
ready seated  on  forms.  Roughly-made  chairs 
had  been  placed  for  the  travelers  near  the  hegou- 
menos,  who  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table.  Being 
courteously  invited  by  him  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand  to  seat  themselves,  the  three  men  did  so, 
and  were  waited  on  by  the  dragoman,  who  put 
before  them  food  which  had  been  prepared  by 
the  old  cook.  After  a  long  grace  in  Greek  from 
Father  Polycarp,  he  and  his  brethren  began  to 
partake  sparingly  of  the  poor  fare  before  them, 
consisting  of  barley  bread,  thin  lentil  soup,  and  a 
little  fruit.  The  two  young  Englishmen,  glanc- 
ing round  the  table,  were  struck  with  the  sorrow- 
ful faces  and  dejected  attitudes  of  all  the  monks. 
They  ate   with    frequent    pauses   and    downcast 


8o  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

eyes,  as  if  they  felt  they  were  giving  way  to  sin- 
ful indulgence  in  satisfying  their  appetites. 

"  Would  you  mind  asking  the  hegoumenos, 
Professor,  whether  he  and  his  monks  will  not 
honor  us  by  sharing  with  us  some  of  the  things 
we  have  brought?"  said  Aylward.  ''We  have 
some  Lebanon  wine  which  our  man  will  produce  if 
they  care  to  try  it.  It  seems  so  unsociable  for  us 
to  be  feasting  on  tinned  luxuries  while  they  are 
filling  themselves  with  broth  and  black  bread." 

Professor  Payne  communicated  his  wish  to 
Father  Polycarp,  who,  however,  shook  his  head, 
while  a  stern  expression  came  into  his  face. 

''  We  are  much  indebted  to  the  gentlemen  for 
their  kindness  and  thought  for  us,  but  we  cannot 
accept  their  generous  offer,"  he  said  in  Greek. 
"  We  wish  them  to  feel  themselves  at  liberty  to 
partake  of  such  things  as  they  may  have  brought 
with  them,  for  our  poverty  permits  us  to  offer  our 
guests  only  food  to  which  they  are  doubtless  un- 
accustomed. As  for  us,  it  behoves  us  to  mortify 
the  flesh  to  the  utmost  limit  of  our  human  en- 
durance. Never  since  the  founding  of  the  mon- 
astery of  St.  Lot  have  the  brotherhood  had  such 
need  for  humbling  themselves  before  God." 

On  hearing  these  austerely  spoken  words  sev- 
eral of  the  monks  groaned  audibly  ;  one  or  two 
pushed  away  their  bowls  of  soup,  while  Brother 
Sophronius,  the  aged  monk,  trembled  so  exces- 
sively that  a  monk  sitting  next  to  him  put  his 


The  Professor.  81 

arm  round  him  to  support  him.  None  of  them 
spoke,  however. 

Professor  Payne  translated  to  Aylward  what 
the  hegoumenos  had  said,  but  without  remarking 
on  the  agitation  shown  by  the  monks  at  the  con- 
clusion of  their  Superior's  reply. 

*'  I  suppose  you  have  found  out  by  this  time 
all  about  this  queer  place,  Professor?  "  remarked 
Yorke,  after  a  few  minutes'  silence. 

''  Well,  yes,  sir.  I  think  I  have  learned  all  that 
is  to  be  learned  of  the  monastery  and  its  inmates 
from  the  monks  themselves  and  from  their  rec- 
ords. It  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  strangest 
places  in  the  world." 

"  It  is  a  Christian  monastery,  of  course?  " 

"  It  belongs  nominally  to  the  Greek  Church  ; 
but,  though  the  monks  profess  to  be  under  the 
spiritual  jurisdiction  of  the  Patriarch  of  Con- 
stantinople, I  doubt  whether  his  Holiness  is  even 
aware  of  their  existence.  They  follow  the  rule 
of  St.  Basil  and  are  under  vows  of  poverty,  silence, 
and,  it  need  hardly  be  said,  of  celibacy.  They 
elect  their  own  hegoumenos." 

"  What  sort  of  fellows  are  they  ?  I  hope  none 
of  them  understand  English,  by  the  way  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no.  They  are  chiefly  Greeks,  and  do  not 
speak  any  language  but  their  own.  The  hegou- 
menos can  converse  in  Arabic,  however.  They 
are  an  excellent.  God-fearing,  simple-minded 
body  of   men,  superior  to  the  ordinary  run    of 


82  The  Finding  of  Lofs  Wife. 

monks  of  the  Eastern  Church ;  but,  like  their 
brethren  in  other  places,  ignorant  and  somewhat 
uncleanly  in  their  habits.  They  live  entirely 
on  vegetable  food,  and  their  only  treatment  for 
sickness  is  prayer  and  application  of  balm  of 
Gilead." 

"  I  suppose  the  monastery  is  a  very  ancient 
one?" 

"  The  monks  say  that  it  was  founded  by  the 
Emperor  Justinian  in  the  sixth  century.  It  is 
possible  that  it  then  became  a  Christian  monas- 
tery ;  but  my  belief  is,  from  archaic  inscriptions 
I  have  found  and  from  ancient  records  in  the 
library  which  I  have  deciphered,  that  this  rock 
was  inhabited  by  a  community  of  ascetics  long 
before  the  Christian  era." 

"  I  wonder,  seeing  how  unknown  the  monastery 
is  and  that  the  monks  have  no  communication 
with  the  outer  world,  that  it  has  not  ceased  to 
exist,  through  the  death  of  all  its  inmates." 

**  The  monks  made  an  extraordinary  statement 
when  I  questioned  them  on  the  subject.  They 
assured  me  that  there  are  never  more  nor  less 
than  twelve  brothers  in  the  monastery,  and  that 
it  always  happened  when  one  of  them  died,  that 
a  candidate  for  admission  into  the  Brotherhood, 
sent  by  God,  presented  himself  at  the  foot  of  the 
rock  at  daybreak  next  morning!  " 

"  The  age  of  miracles  has  evidently  not  yet 
passed  in  these  parts,"  observed  Yorke,  dryly. 


The  Pfofesson  -  83 

"  I  see  that  there  are  only  eleven  monks  pres- 
ent," remarked  Aylward,  looking  round  the 
table. 

"  That  is  so,  sir.  I  have  not  seen  Brother 
Barlaam,  one  of  them,  for  some  days,"  said  Pro- 
fessor Payne.  "  The  hegoumenos  told  me  some 
time  ago  that  no  brother  had  ever  been  known 
to  break  his  vows,  but  I  fancy  that  something  of 
the  kind  has  at  length  happened,. judging  from 
the  unusual  conduct  of  all  the  monks  recently. 
They  have  obviously  been  in  a  state  of  great 
horror  and  distress  about  something." 

''  I  suppose  they  have  locked  up  the  erring 
brother  in  one  of  the  cells  ?  "  said  Yorke. 

"  I  think  so,  sir." 

"  I  hope  they  won't  build  him  up  alive  in  the 
walls,  or  commit  any  such  barbarity  of  the  Mid- 
dle Ages !  One  somehow  feels  that  anything  is 
possible  in  this  extraordinary  place." 

"  They  will  probably  keep  him  in  confinement 
till  he  has  expiated  his  sin  by  penance  and  has 
obtained  absolution.  I  think  it  unlikely  that 
they  will  treat  him  more  severely." 

By  this  time  the  monks  had  finished  their 
silent,  frugal  meal ;  some,  indeed,  including  the 
hegoumenos,  having  eaten  scarcely  sufficient  to 
support  life.  A  short  thanksgiving  was  then 
repeated  by  them,  all  standing,  after  which  they 
filed  out  of  the  refectory  with  hanging  heads  and 
mournful  faces.     Father  Polycarp,  with  an  apolo- 


84  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

getic  murmur  and  a  grave  inclination  of  the 
head,  followed  them. 

The  three  travelers,  who  had  risen  to  their 
feet  as  the  monks  retired,  seated  themselves 
again  and  continued  their  conversation.  They 
had  much  to  tell  each  other,  and  sat  for  some 
hours  in  the  refectory  talking  together  with 
animation.  Professor  Payne  proved  himself  to 
be  a  most  entertaining  companion,  having  a  vast 
fund  of  information  regarding  the  strange  places 
and  stranger  people  he  had  seen  in  his  wander- 
ings, and  many  stories  of  adventure  and  peril  to 
relate.  He  appeared  to  take  a  great  interest  in 
the  political  and  social  questions  of  the  day,  and, 
not  having  had  any  reliable  news  of  what  was 
going  on  in  the  world  for  many  months,  had 
many  questions  to  ask.  He  was  anxious  for 
news  of  the  war  then  raging  in  the  Crimea,  and 
heard  with  greM  satisfaction  of  the  recent  vic- 
tories of  the  Allies. 

"  Good  heavens,  Noel !  We  have  forgotten  all 
about  those  poor  brutes  of  ours  that  we  left  in 
the  cave  at  the  foot  of  the  rock ! "  exclaimed 
Aylward,  suddenly. 

"  I  heard  the  hegoumenos  give  directions  to 
one  of  the  brothers  to  take  down  some  locust- 
beans  and  water  for  them,  and  the  creaking  of 
the  windlass  soon  after ;  so  I  think  the  animals 
have  been  attended  to,"  remarked  Professor 
Payne. 


The  Professor.  85 

"  That  was  really  very  good  of  the  old  fel- 
low ! "  observed  Yorke.  "  One  would  imagine 
from  his  thinking  of  the  needs  of  animals,  of 
which  he  must  have  long  ceased  to  have  any 
experience,  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  enter- 
taining travelers  daily." 

''  As  I  said  before,  there  is  no  record  or  even 
rumor  of  any  stranger  ever  having  come  to  the 
monastery  previous  to  the  arrival  of  my  daughter 
and  myself,"  said  the  old  savant. 

"It  is  almost  too  marvelous  for  belief!" 
ejaculated  Yorke.  "  I  say.  Professor,  will  you 
show  us  over  the  place?  I  suppose  you  know 
your  way  about  it  ?" 

"  I  think  I  know  every  nook  and  corner  of  it, 
sir,  and  shall  be  delighted  to  act  as  cicerone. 
There  are  many  things  in  it  that  are  well  worth 
seeing." 

"  Do  the  monks  object  to  smoking?" 

"  They  do  not  indulge  in  the  habit  themselves, 
but  I  feel  sure  they  will  make  no  objection  to 
their  guests  doing  so." 

"  Here  goes,  then  !  "  Yorke  lit  his  pipe  ;  and 
his  friend  having  followed  his  example,  they  left 
the  refectory  to  explore  the  Monastery  of  St. 
Lot  under  the  Professor's  guidance. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

The  Monastery  of  St.  Lot* 

Passing  through  a  door  at  the  end  of  the 
refectory,  the  three  men  found  themselves  in  a 
stone-paved  courtyard,  round  three  sides  of  which 
ran  a  shady  cloister,  while  the  remaining  side 
was  open  to  the  precipice,  protected  only  by  a 
low  parapet  wall.  The  courtyard  was  full  of 
ancient  olive-trees,  the  gnarled  and  twisted  trunks 
of  several  of  which  were  quite  hollow.  Beneath 
their  great  branches  the  ground  was  covered 
with  white  blossoms  like  snow.  Above  the 
courtyard  on  one  side  rose  the  main  building  of 
the  monastery  perforated  with  small  windows, 
and,  on  the  other,  a  great  rock  raised  its  rounded 
head  some  fifty  feet  above  the  roofs  of  the  build- 
ings. A  dark  passage  at  the  end  of  the  court- 
yard gave  access  to  a  stone  bridge  which  spanned 
a  deep  chasm.  Beyond  was  a  flight  of  steps 
rudely   cut    in    the    rock,    protected    by  chains 


The  Monastery  of  St.  Lot.  87 

swinging  from  iron  supports  over  the  precipice. 
Professor  Payne  led  the  way  up  this  perilous 
path  to  the  top  of  the  rock,  whence  they  had  a 
magnificent  view. 

Round  the  monastery-rock  stretched  a  laby- 
rinth of  rocky  mountains,  ridge  beyond  ridge, 
glowing  like  red-hot  iron  in  the  brilliant  sun- 
light. They  looked  like  waves  of  molten  lava 
which,  while  running  storm-high,  had  been  sud- 
denly commanded  to  stand  still.  Torn  and 
racked  by  convulsions  of  nature,  they  were 
piled  confusedly  together,  terminating  in  bold 
bluffs  that  looked  like  ruined  strongholds  or  in 
sheer  precipices.  Their  faces  were  scored  with 
terraces  and  land-slips,  and  their  summits 
crowned  with  domes,  towers,  pinnacles,  and 
mighty  boulders.  A  tremulous  blue  haze  lay 
over  the  scene. 

"  How  in  the  world  did  the  ancient  builders  of 
this  monastery  succeed  in  climbing  the  rock? 
It  is  surrounded  by  precipices  on  all  sides,"  ob- 
served Aylward,  after  they  had  stood  in  silence 
some  time,  looking  round  them  and  admiring  the 
scene. 

"  Perhaps  they  used  kites,  like  our  steeple- 
jacks at  home,"  suggested  Yorke. 

"  I  think  the  monks  know  of  some  secret  path 
up,  the  entrance  to  which  they  have  hidden,  but 
where  it  can  be  I  have  not  the  least  idea,  though, 
actuated  by  curiosity,  I  have  searched  every  part 


88  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

of  the  monastery  open  to  my  inspection,"  said 
Professor  Payne. 

Below  the  three  men  lay  the  monastery,  a 
picturesque  group  of  red-tiled  buildings  straggling 
irregularly  over  the  rock,  with  the  sky-line  above 
them.  Fruit  trees  of  different  kinds  grew  wher- 
ever there  was  room  for  their  roots,  comprising 
olive-trees,  their  dark-blue  foliage  contrasting 
with  the  pale  green  of  mulberry  and  almond 
trees ;  orange  and  citron  trees  laden  with  golden 
fruit ;  pomegranates  ablaze  with  crimson  flowers, 
and  figs  and  locust  trees.  Some  had  been 
planted  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  and  their 
branches  overhung  the  precipice.  Narrow  paths 
had  been  cut  to  these  along  the  face  of  the 
cliffs,  from  cranny  to  cranny,  to  enable  the 
monks  to  collect  the  fruit. 

On  top  of  the  rock,  where  there  was  a  level 
space  some  two  acres  in  extent,  was  the  mon- 
astery garden,  every  foot  of  which  was  culti- 
vated. The  soil  had  no  doubt  been  brought  up 
from  below — a  toilsome  work  which  must  have 
occupied  the  monks  of  bygone  centuries  for 
many  years.  The  garden  was  full  of  melons, 
beans,  onions,  cucumbers,  and  culinary  and 
sweet-scented  herbs,  and  was  surrounded  by  a 
wall  built  of  loose  stones.  A  couple  of  monks 
were  at  work  in  it,  but  they  took  no  notice  of 
the  travelers. 

In  a   hollow  in  the  rock     below  the   garden 


The  Monastery  of  Su  Lot*  89 

was  a  pool  of  clear,  cool,  sweet  water.  An 
ancient  donkey,  almost  white  from  age,  was 
working  a  roughly-made,  groaning  shadoof,  which 
drew  up  water  from  the  pool  for  the  irrigation  of 
the  garden.  A  silent  monk,  sitting  in  the  shade 
of  the  rock,  was  watching  it. 

"  The  monks  say  that  this  pool  is  always  kept 
full  miraculously,  as  there  is  no  spring  and  the 
rain  never  falls ;  but  the  probability  is  that  the 
water  is  forced  up  some  pipe-like  fissure  in  the 
rock  from  a  great  depth,  as  in  an  Artesian  well," 
observed  the  Professor. 

**  It  certainly  is  a  very  strange  thing  that  there 
should  be  a  never  failing  well  at  the  top  of  this 
bare  rock  !  "  responded  Aylward. 

''That  donkey  is  the  only  living  thing  in  the 
monastery  besides  the  monks  and  ourselves — 
and  the  fleas,"  continued  the  old  man.  "  Father 
Polycarp  told  me  that  it  was  brought  here  by  a 
new  brother  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  and 
that  it  was  even  then  old  !  " 

"  I  am  quite  prepared  to  believe  from  its  ap- 
pearance that  it  is  the  identical  ass  that,  we  are 
told,  remonstrated  with  the  irate  prophet  for 
beating  it !  "  remarked  Yorke,  flippantly. 

At  the  back  of  the  garden,  and  hidden  from 
view  by  the  wall  of  loose  stones,  was  a  ledge  of 
rock  sloping  inwards.  Professor  Payne  led  the 
way  towards  it. 

"  This   is   where   the   monks  dispose  of   their 


90  The  Finding:  of  Lof s  Wife* 

dead.  A  gruesome  sight,  is  it  not?  "  he  said,  on 
reaching  the  spot. 

"  Great  Caesar  !  I  should  think  it  was !  "  ejacu- 
lated Yorke. 

Arranged  in  rows  on  the  flat  surface  were  a 
number  of  corpses  of  monks  clad  in  their  ordi- 
nary robes,  with  their  dead  faces  turned  up  to 
the  sky,  and  their  bony  hands  folded  on  their 
sunken  breasts.  Most  of  them  looked  like  mum- 
mies, for  the  hot  sun  and  dry,  still  air  had  desic- 
cated and  deodorized  the  bodies ;  but  a  few  had, 
in  the  course  of  years,  gradually  crumbled  to 
dust.  In  a  hollow,  under  the  overhanging  rock, 
were  neatly  stacked  scores  of  whitened  skulls 
and  bones.  No  carrion  birds  had  ever  attacked 
the  human  remains  in  that  strange  cemetery,  and 
the  dead  monks  lay  there  undisturbed,  awaiting 
the  resurrection. 

"  I  am  informed  that  some  of  these  sun-dried 
mummies  are  the  bodies  of  monks  who  died 
more  than  a  hundred  years  ago !  "  remarked  the 
Professor. 

"It's  horrible !— let's  get  out  of  this!"  ex- 
claimed Yorke ;  and  Aylward  cordially  agreeing 
with  him,  they  left  the  spot  and  descended  to 
the  courtyard.  They  were  not  sorry  to  return 
to  the  shade  of  the  old  olive-trees,  for  the  sur- 
face of  the  rock  above  had  been  so  heated  by  the 
sun  as  to  be  almost  too  hot  to  walk  on.  Pro- 
fessor Payne  then  took  them  to  see  the  church. 


The  Monastery  of  Su  Lot*  91 

It  was  built  on  a  broad  ledge  against  the  cliff 
on  the  western  side  of  the  rock  facing  Jerusalem. 
The  path  to  it,  hewn  with  infinite  difficulty  and 
labor,  passed  above  the  windlass  tower  and  below 
the  main  building  of  the  monastery.  The 
church  was  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  and  was 
surmounted  by  a  tiled  dome.  The  interior  was 
very  dark,  but  refreshingly  cool,  and  was  per- 
vaded by  the  odor  of  incense.  The  walls  were 
adorned  with  many  icons  or  sacred  pictures  in 
costly  frames.  Numerous  lamps  hung  from  the 
roof,  some  ancient  and  very  valuable  and  hand- 
some, others  of  common  glass  tumblers  in  tin 
frames.  A  number  of  ostrich  eggs  were  also 
suspended  from  the  roof.  At  the  end  of  the 
church  stood  a  richly-gilded  iconostasis  or  altar- 
screen.  Near  it  was  the  carved  chair  of  the 
hegoumenos,  and  a  lectern  inlaid  with  ivory  and 
mother-o*-pearl,  an  ancient  imperial  gift  to  the 
monastery.  Behind  the  iconostasis  was  the 
apse,  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The  roof  was 
black  with  the  smoke  of  the  lamps,  and  the  stone 
floor  was  spotted  and  slippery  with  yellow  taper 
droppings. 

Over  the  altar,  on  which  stood  a  great  cross  of 
carved  wood,  set  in  gold  and  jewels,  hung  an 
extraordinary  and  very  realistic  picture  of  the 
Last  Judgment.  Goat-headed  devils  with  forked 
tails  were  represented  as  tormenting  the  wicked, 
while  rov.'s  of   ugly  little  saints,  very  hairy  and 


•V-^feJ^Sk, 


92  The  Poinding  of  Lot's  Wife 

very  holy,  with  what  appeared  to  be  white 
plates  on  their  heads,  looked  on  round-eyed. 
Yorke's  delight  on  seeing  this  altar-piece  was  in- 
tense. 

"  Look  at  these  *  halowes  of  heaven,'  Hal ! " 
he  cried,  indicating  the  staring  saints ;  "  did  you 
ever  see  anything  funnier?" 

The  picture  fascinated  the  artist,  and  he  stood 
before  it  a  long  time,  finding  fresh  amusement  in 
it  every  minute. 

In  a  recess  at  the  side  of  the  apse  stood  the 
reliquary.  It  was  an  exquisitely  carved  ebony 
cabinet  on  which  were  arranged  many  costly 
relic-receptacles,  containing  the  bones  and  other 
portions  of  the  bodies  of  martyrs  and  saints. 
Gold  and  silver  sacramental  vessels,  and  many 
beautiful  specimens  of  ancient  art-work  and 
jewelry,  also  stood  on  the  reliquary,  quite 
unprotected.  In  the  place  of  honor  was  a  long, 
narrow  golden  casket  encrusted  with  gems. 

"That  casket,  gentlemen,"  observed  Professor 
Payne,  pointing  to  it,  *'  contains  a  relic  of  in- 
estimable value ;  nothing  less  than  the  staff  of 
St.  Lot,  presumably  the  identical  one  used  by 
the  patriarch  when  fleeing  from  the  doomed 
Cities  of  the  Plain !  I  was  informed  by  the 
hegoumenos  that  its  virtue  is  such,  that,  should 
any  mentally  afflicted  person  touch  it,  he  would 
immediately  become  perfectly  sane.  However, 
whatever    its    healing    powers    may    be,    I    am 


The  Monastery  of  St*  Lot.  93 

sure  that  it  is  the  most  ancient  relic  in  the 
world." 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out,  Professor?" 

**  I  will  show  you  presently,  sir,  a  document 
over  three  thousand  years  old,  in  which  it  is 
mentioned." 

*'  By  Jove,  that  will  be  worth  seeing  !  " 

"  I  suppose  you  have  been  shown  some  queer 
relics  in  your  visits  to  out-of-the-way  monaster- 
ies, Professor,"  remarked  Aylward. 

The  old  savant's  eyes  twinkled  behind  his 
spectacles  as  he  replied — 

*'  I  have  seen  many,  sir.  I  was  once  shown,  as 
a  very  sacred  relic,  what  I  was  assured  was  a 
finger  of  the  Woman  of  Samaria.  On  another 
occasion  the  Superior  of  a  Maronite  monastery 
exhibited  to  me  with  much  pride  a  piece  of  the 
potsherd  with  which  the  patient  patriarch  Job 
had  scratched  himself  !  " 

'*0h!  come,  come.  Professor!"  exclaimed 
both  Aylward  and  Yorke  simultaneously. 

''  Quite  true,  I  assure  you,  gentlemen,"  re- 
turned the  old  man,  laughing,  as  he  led  the  way 
out  of  the  church. 

Having  peeped  into  one  or  two  of  the  dark 
comfortless  cells  tenanted  by  the  monks,  and 
having  examined  an  ancient  olive  press  cut  out 
of  the  solid  rock,  and  some  inscriptions  which 
the  Professor  said  were  very  ancient  and  were 
names  probably  of  ascetics  who  had  lived  on  the 


94  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

rock  centuries  before  the  Christian  era,  the  three 
men  entered  the  monastic  library.  It  was  a  small 
vaulted  chamber  not  far  from  the  church,  and 
stood  on  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  with  a  deep 
window  commanding  a  view  over  the  valley. 
The  books,  manuscripts,  and  rolls  were  arranged 
in  niches  in  the  thick  walls. 

"This  is  the  most  valuable  and  best  kept  of 
all  the  monastic  libraries  that  I  have  met  with  in 
my  travels.  It  contains  treasures  for  which 
wealthy  bibliomaniacs  in  Europe  and  America 
would  give  thousands  of  pounds,"  said  Professor 
Payne,  enthusiastically. 

So  saying,  he  reverently  and  carefully  took 
down  a  number  of  priceless  manuscripts,  and 
exhibited  them  to  his  companions,  pointing  out 
their  beauties  and  peculiarities.  He  showed 
them  an  Evangelistarium  of  the  ninth  century, 
written  in  uncial  letters  in  the  form  of  a  cross ;  a 
fine  folio  of  Job  in  large  letters,  surrounded  with 
*'  scholia  "  in  a  smaller  hand  and  illustrated  with 
numerous  ghastly  miniatures  of  the  patriarch's 
sufferings ;  a  rare  Byzantine  manuscript  written 
in  purple  ink  powdered  with  gold  dust;  an 
illuminated  Menologia  or  Lives  of  the  Saints 
on  gazelle  skin ;  a  manuscript  in  "  charta 
bombycina,"  a  material  used  in  very  early 
times,  and  many  other  fine  examples  of  ancient 
art. 

''Owing   to   the  monastery    being  almost    un- 


The  Monastery  of  St*  Lot.  95 

known,  to  the  dry  climate,  and  to  the  ignorance 
of  the  monks,  who  have  handled  these  manu- 
scripts but  little,  they  are  in  a  wonderful  state  of 
preservation,"  observed  the  Professor.  "  My 
experience  hitherto  has  almost  invariably  been 
that  the  monks  of  Eastern  monasteries  take  little 
or  no  care  of  the  literary  treasures  many  of  them 
possess,  and  often  put  them  to  extraordinary  uses. 
I  remember  finding  in  an  Armenian  monastery  a 
bed  of  penance  contrived  out  of  ancient  tomes, 
bound  in  wooden  boards  studded  with  metal 
bosses.  I  have  frequently  seen  monastic  accounts 
kept  in  priceless  vellum  books,  from  which  the 
exquisite  illuminations  and  lettering  had  been 
washed  off.  I  have  several  times  found  whole 
libraries  so  eaten  by  insects,  or  so  rotten  from 
damp,  as  to  fall  to  pieces  at  my  touch  !  "  The 
old  savant  spoke  in  a  tone  of  indignation  and 
grief. 

"  You  must  have  been  able  to  purchase  many 
valuable  books  in  your  travels.  Professor,"  re- 
marked Aylward. 

"  I  have  never  bought  a  single  book,  sir.  I  am 
of  opinion  that  the  proper  place  for  ancient  works 
such  as  these  is  the  monastery  library  in  which 
they  have  lain  for  centuries.  I  have  made  it  a 
practice  to  acquaint  the  monks  with  the  great 
pecuniary  value  of  their  books  and  manuscripts, 
and  to  urge  them  not  to  part  with  them  on  any 
account." 


gS  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

Yorke,  meanwhile,  was  examining  with  the 
deepest  interest  specimens  of  the  illuminator's 
art,  such  as  he  had  never  seen  before.  His  artis- 
tic training  and  tastes  enabled  him  to  appreciate 
fully  the  wonderful  coloring,  quaint  designs,  and 
microscopic  detail  of  the  paintings  before  him. 
Some  of  the  manuscripts  looked  as  fresh  as  if  they 
had  just  left  the  hands  of  the  monk-artists  whose 
work  they  were.  Yorke  pored  over  them  in 
silence  for  some  time,  and  then  his  pleasure  found 
vent  in  words. 

"  They  are  really  wonderful !  The  sight  of 
these  manuscripts  is  worth  all  the  trouble  we  had 
in  finding  the  monastery,  Hal !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"That  is  what  I  myself  thought,  sir,  when,  the 
day  after  my  arrival  here,  I  discovered  this 
treasure-house  of  ancient  wisdom  and  art,"  said 
Professor  Payne.  "  But  I  had  almost  forgotten. 
I  have  not  yet  shown  you  the  three-thou- 
sand-year-old document  that  I  told  you  of, 
which,  I  think,  is  the  most  curious  thing  in  the 
library." 

Saying  this,  he  took  out  of  an  antique  silver 
case  that  lay  in  a  separate  niche  in  the  wall, 
made  apparently,  from  its  shape,  expressly  for  its 
reception,  an  ancient  sheep-skin  scroll,  the  rods  of 
which  were  of  ebony  ornamented  with  gold.  It 
was  wrapped  in  many  folds  of  embroidered  silk. 
The  parchment  was  grimed  and  yellow  with  age, 
with  its  edges  greatly  frayed,  and  the  writing  on 


The  Monastery  of  St«  Lot*  97 

it  was  much  faded,  portions  of  it  being  quite  il- 
legible. 

"  What  is  it,  Professor  ?  "  asked  the  artist  when 
the  old  savant  had  gazed  at  it,  unrolled  on  the 
table  before  him,  without  speaking  for  some 
time. 

"It  may  be  described  as  the  charter  of  the 
Monastery  of  St.  Lot,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  It 
is  written  in  archaic  Hebrew ;  and  from  internal 
evidence  that  it  contains,  I  am  convinced  that 
the  hand  that  guided  the  reed  that  wrote  it, 
became  dust  at  least  three  thousand  years  ago. 
Only  about  half  the  writing  is  legible.  I  have 
tried  every  means  that  long  experience  in  deci- 
phering ancient  manuscripts  has  taught  me,  to 
make  out  the  faded  portions,  but  with  little  suc- 
cess ;  but,  by  piecing  together  detached  sentences 
and  scattered  words,  I  have  been  able  to  gather 
the  general  sense  of  the  document. 

"It  begins  with  the  solemn  invocation  of 
Jehovah,  followed  by  a  prayer  for  the  sins  of 
mankind.  A  remarkable  declaration  is  then 
made.  It  states  that,  when  God  cursed  Lot's 
wife  and  turned  her  into  a  pillar  of  salt.  He  left 
it  standing  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Salt  Sea 
that  covered  the  site  of  the  accursed  cities  He 
had  destroyed,  as  a  warning  to  all  men  against 
disobedience.  But,  says  the  parchment,  so  many 
men  went  mad  at  the  sight  of  the  awful  Woman 
of  Salt,  that  God,  in  His  mercy,  removed  it  to 


98  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

the  Valley  of  Madness  among  the  mountains, 
the  only  road  to  which  lies  along  the  Pass  of 
Many  Voices, — a  narrow  way,  dark  and  danger- 
ous. Then  follows  another  strange  statement. 
It  says  that  God  further  ordained  that  a  House 
of  Mercy  should  be  built  in  the  mountains,  the 
duty  of  the  inmates  of  which  should  be  to  restore 
to  his  senses  any  unfortunate  man  who  might 
enter  the  Valley  of  Madness  and  look  on  Lot's 
wife.  That  portion  of  the  parchment  which 
apparently  specifies  how  this  is  to  be  done  is 
very  illegible.  All  I  have  been  able  to  make  out 
are  several  unintelligible  references  to  the  Staff  of 
Lot,  which,  as  I  told  you,  is  believed  by  the 
monks  to  possess  miraculous  powers.  The  men- 
tion of  it  in  this  exceedingly  ancient  document 
goes  to  show  what  a  unique  relic  is  possessed  by 
the  monastery." 

The  two  young  men  listened  with  the  deepest 
interest  to  the  old  savant's  account  of  the  vener- 
able dilapidated  parchment,  and,  when  he  ceased 
speaking,  examined  it  carefully.  It  was  with 
feelings  almost  of  awe  that  they  gazed  at  its 
crabbed,  faded  characters. 

**  I  suppose  the  monks  know  of  the  existence  of 
this  scroll  ?  "  observed  Yorke. 

"  They  do,  sir,  but  they  are  unable  to  read  it. 
It  is  probable  that  no  inmate  of  the  monastery 
has  been  able  to  read  it  for  many  hundreds  of 
years  past;  nevertheless    its  contents  appear  to 


The  Monastery  of  SU  Lot*  99 

have  been  handed  down  by  oral  tradition. 
Father  Polycarp,  to  whom  I  spoke  of  it,  was 
obviously  aware  of  its  strange  nature,  and  of  the 
duty  it  imposes  on  him  and  his  fellow-monks. 
He,  however,  seemed  so  unwilling  to  give  me 
any  information  in  regard  to  it,  that  I  forebore 
to  question  him." 

"It  was  the  universal  belief  in  the  Middle 
Ages  that  the  Pillar  of  Salt  was  still  standing 
near  the  Dead  Sea,"  remarked  the  artist.  "For 
instance,  dear  old  Sir  John  Maundeville  says: 
'  At  the  ryght  side  of  this  see  dwelleth  Lothe's 
wife  in  a  stone  of  salt,  for  that*  she  looked  againe 
when  the  citie  sanke  downe,'  and  many  other  old 
travelers  say  the  same." 

"  I  have  seen  so  many  strange  things  in  my 
travels  that  I  can  afford  to  be  thought  credulous, 
so  I  do  not  mind  saying,  gentlemen,  that  I  firmly 
believe  that  parchment  before  you  to  be  an 
authentic  document,"  said  the  old  savant. 

"  Oh,  come.  Professor  !  "  expostulated  Ayl- 
ward,  "  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  think 
that  Lot's  wife,  or  rather  the  Pillar  of  Salt,  is 
still  in  existence,  and  that " 

"  By  Jove,  Professor ! "  interrupted  Yorke  ex- 
citedly, "  it  has  just  occurred  to  me  that  I  heard 
only  yesterday  a  wonderful  story,  which  seems  to 
confirm  one  statement  at  least  in  this  old  parch- 
ment." 

He  proceeded  to  repeat  what  Ayeda  had  told 


loo  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife^ 

him  of  her  father's  discovery  of  the  great  rift  in 
the  cliffs,  and  of  his  ride  down  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth  in  search  of  his  son,  and  of  his  return, 
three  days  afterwards,  hopelessly  insane. 

''  Now  I  should  very  much  like  to  know 
whether  that  is  true  or  not !  "  exclaimed  Pro- 
fessor Payne  with  animation.  **  Unfortunately, 
long  experience  of  the  Bedawin  has  convinced 
me  that  of  all  people  they  are  the  most  addicted 
to  falsehood.  It  has  often  seemed  to  me  that 
they  lie  for  pleasure,  for  they  frequently  make 
false  statements  when  they  have  nothing  to  gain 
or  lose  by  speaking  the  truth.  They  have  not 
even  grace  enough  to  be  ashamed  of  the  vice.  If 
you  doubt  any  statement  made  by  an  Arab,  he 
will  retort :  '  The  fore-foot  of  my  camel  stands  on 
the  centre  of  the  earth.  If  you  don't  believe  me, 
go  and  measure  for  yourself '  !  " 

*'  You're  right  enough.  Professor,  they  are  liars 
of  the  first  magnitude ;  the  least  gifted  of  the 
Beni  Azaleh  could  give  Ananias  heavy  odds. 
But  I  am  sure  that  the  girl  who  told  me  the  story 
I  have  just  repeated  was  speaking  what  she  be- 
lieved to  be  the  truth." 

"  Her  story  strangely  corroborates  what  is 
stated  in  this  ancient  manuscript.  I  should  think 
it  would  be  time  well  spent  to  inquire  further 
into  the  matter,"  remarked  the  Professor. 

The  three  men  stayed  in  the  library  talking  to- 
gether about  the  wonderful  old  scroll  and  other 


The  Monastery  of  St*  Lot.  loi 

subjects  till  the  sun  had  set.  Professor  Payne, 
realizing  from  the  sudden  darkness  that  came  on 
how  late  in  the  day  it  was,  hurried  off,  reproach- 
ing himself  for  having  left  his  daughter  alone  so 
long.  The  other  two  men  strolled  off  to  the 
courtyard. 


>''  at  ram   *• 

UiriVBRSITT] 


CHAPTER  VUL 
Isha  Payne* 

As  the  young  Englishmen  walked  up  and 
down  the  blossom-strewn  courtyard,  Yorke 
amused  himself  with  conjectures  as  to  the  per- 
sonal appearance  and  manners  of  the  Professor's 
daughter,  whom  they  had  not  yet  seen. 

"  I  suppose  she'll  prove  to  be  a  cheeky,  slangy 
young  woman,  of  scraggy  build,  with  a  thin  face 
and  a  hard  reedy  voice  spoken  through  her 
nose,"  he  said. 

"  Her  mother  was  English,  and  she  was 
educated  at  home,  so  I  don't  see  why  you 
should  suppose  anything  of  the  sort,"  returned 
his  friend. 

"  Perhaps  we  shall  find  her  to  be  a  spectacled 
young  person,  very  plain  and  prim." 

"  If  she  had  been  a  girl  of  that  sort,  she  would 
not  have  consented  to  wear  boy's  clothes." 

"After  all,  I  should  not  wonder  if  she  turned 


Isha  Payne*  103 

out  to  be  a  gawky  school-girl,  too  shy  to  do  any- 
thing but  giggle." 

"  She's  nineteen,  and  must  have  got  over  that 
period  of  girlhood." 

'^  Or  a  regular  tomboy,  who  will  want  us  to 
romp  with  her  and -'* 

"  Be  quiet !  Here  she  comes  with  her  father," 
interrupted  Aylward  in  a  low  voice. 

Though  the  sun  had  set,  leaving  only  a  faint  red 
glow  in  the  west,  there  was  plenty  of  light,  for  the 
full  moon  hung  unclouded  over  the  horizon.  By 
its  silvery  beams  the  two  men  saw  Professor  Payne 
advancing  towards  them  accompanied  by  a  pic- 
turesquely-attired young  girl,  who  seemed  to 
come  reluctantly,  and  to  be  trying  to  hide  her- 
self behind  the  old  savant's  spare  form.  She 
was  dressed  in  loose  Turkish  trousers,  bound 
about  the  waist  with  a  broad  sash,  and  in  a  red 
silk  blouse  under  an  embroidered  Albanian 
jacket.  On  her  head,  which  was  covered  with 
short  curly  locks,  was  a  small  fez  cap,  and  she 
wore  a  pair  of  dainty  little  Parisian  boots.  She 
had  thrown  a  shawl  round  her  in  such  a  way  as  to 
partly  hide  that  part  of  her  boyish  dress  of  which 
she  was  evidently  most  ashamed.  She  wore  no 
jewelry  or  ornaments  of  any  kind.  The  instant 
Yorke  saw  her  he  realized  that  his  forebodings 
as  to  her  appearance  had  been  unfounded,  for  the 
Professor's  daughter  was  an  extremely  pretty 
girl. 


104  The  Finding  of  Lofs  Wife* 

"  My  dear,  allow  me  to  present  to  you  Mr. 
Aylward  and  Mr.  Yorke,"  said  her  father,  indicat- 
ing each  of  the  young  men  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand.  The  girl  bowed  to  them  gracefully,  but 
with  a  somewhat  embarrassed  smile  on  her  face, 
and  did  not  speak. 

"  You  have  no  idea  how  surprised  we  were  this 
morning  to  find  that  there  was  a  young  lady  stay- 
ing in  this  extraordinary  place,  Miss  Payne," 
said  Aylward. 

"  You  must  have  been  still  more  surprised  to 
hear  that  she  was  dressed — in  boy's  clothes,  Mr. 
Aylward,"  returned  the  girl,  blushing  painfully. 
She  spoke  in  a  clear,  sweet  voice,  without  a 
trace  of  nasal  accent. 

*'  Your  father  has  explained  to  us  the  necessity 
there  is  for  the  disguise,  and  all  I  can  say  is  that, 
if  I  had  been  blessed  with  a  sister  who  dressed 
as  a  boy  in  order  to  accompany  me  to  places 
where  we  could  not  otherwise  have  gone  to- 
gether, I  should  be  very  proud  of  her  indeed. 
Miss  Payne." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Aylward,"  was  the  girl's 
grateful  response,  as  she  smiled  brightly. 

"  You  don't  travel  about  with  a  toilet  glass  in 
which  you  can  see  yourself  full  length,  do  you. 
Miss  Payne?"  asked  the  artist. 

"  No,  indeed,  Mr.  Yorke." 

"  Well,  if  you  did,  I  think  you  would  be  more 
reconciled  to  the  dress  you  wear.     I  am  an  artist, 


Isha  Payne*  105 

you  know,  and  privileged  to  tell  people  how  they 
look  in  costume." 

"  You  are  right,  sir,"  said  Professor  Payne.  "  I 
have  always  thought,  my  dear,  that  the  pretty 
costume  became  you,  but  I  shall  be  pleased  when 
the  necessity  for  wearing  it  no  longer  exists." 

"  I  am  glad  you  like  it,  father  dear,"  responded 
the  girl  quietly,  but  in  a  tone  which  showed  that 
she  did  not  wish  the  subject  pursued. 

After  a  little  further  conversation  the  three 
men  and  the  girl  began  to  stroll  up  and  down  the 
courtyard  in  the  moonlight.  Presently  Aylward 
and  Miss  Payne  found  themselves  walking  to- 
gether; the  Professor  and  Yorke,  who  had  got 
on  the  subject  of  monastic  art,  having  stopped 
under  one  of  the  old  olive-trees  to  argue  out 
some  point. 

**Is  it  not  a  strangely  beautiful  scene.  Miss 
Payne  ?  "  observed  Aylward,  gazing  round. 

*'  You  will  perhaps  think  it  silly  and  sentimen- 
tal, Mr.  Aylward,  but  moonlight  is  always  associ- 
ated in  my  mind  with  Heaven." 

"  I  can  understand  the  feeling  perfectly.  I 
think  most  people  have  felt  the  influence  of  the 
silvery  radiance  which  softens  and  beautifies 
everything  it  touches.  Beautiful  cloud  scenery, 
the  sound  of  running  water,  and  the  scent  of 
flowers  at  night  have  much  the  same  effect.  The 
best  feelings  of  our  hearts  are  stirred  by  the 
sweet  sights,  sounds,  and    odors  of  nature,  and 


io6  The  Findings  of  Lot's  Wife* 

we  feel,  while  enjoying  them,  as  near  Heaven  as 
it  is  permitted  for  us  to  be  in  this  world." 

It  was  seldom  indeed  that  Aylward  spoke  in 
this  strain,  but  it  seemed  natural  enough  under 
the  circumstances.  The  young  lady  said  nothing 
in  reply,  and  they  went  together  to  the  parapet 
wall  along  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  and  leaning 
on  it  gazed  round  for  some  time  in  silence. 

The  salt-encrusted  plain  lay  below  like  a  lake 
of  silver,  with  the  winding  path  across  it  faintly 
visible.  Round'them  the  mountains  raised  their 
heads  in  majestic  gloom,  their  desolation  hidden 
by  the  silver  veil  of  the  moonlight.  Far  away  a 
snow-capped  peak  peeped  over  the  distant  rocky 
ridges  with  a  diadem  of  stars  round  its  glisten- 
ing turban.  Behind  and  above  glittered  the  white 
walls  and  red  roofs  of  the  monastery  buildings, 
with  the  dark  outlines  of  the  trees  sharply  de- 
fined against  them.  An  inexpressible  calm 
reigned  over  the  scene,  only  deepened  by  the 
distant  solemn  chanting  of  the  monks  at  even- 
song. 

As  Aylward  stood  leaning  over  the  parapet 
wall,  he  had  an  opportunity  of  better  observing 
his  companion.  He  saw  that  she  was  taller  than 
he  had  supposed,  her  boy's  dress  having  had  the 
effect  of  making  her  look  small.  That  she  was 
painfully  conscious  of  her  masculine  costume  was 
shown  by  her  restless  plucking  of  the  shawl  she 
had   draped  about  her.     Her  face  was  not  only 


Isha  Payne^  107 

beautiful,  but  full  of  animation,  and  had  that 
sweet  innocent  look  that  is  a  maiden's  chief 
charm.  Her  hair  was  cut  short,  which,  instead  of 
detracting  from  her  good  looks,  seemed  to  add 
piquancy  to  them.  She  had  large,  trustful,  dark 
gray  eyes,  and  a  sensitive  little  mouth  with  smiles 
ever  lurking  in  its  corners. 

*'  By  what  name  does  your  father  address  you 
in  public,  Miss  Payne  ?  "  asked  Aylward,  breaking 
the  silence. 

*' Arthur  is  my  man's  name,  Mr.  Aylward,"  re- 
plied the  girl,  smiling. 

"  How  came  your  own  name  to  be  an  Arabic 
one  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  Arabic,  Mr.  Aylward." 

"  Surely  Ayesha  is  an  Arab  girl's  name.  If  I 
remember  right,  it  was  the  name  of  one  of  Mo- 
hammed's wives." 

^'  Yes,  but  my  name  is  Isha,  I-s-h-a." 
•    "  Sounds  like  Japanese,  somehow." 

*'  It  is  Hebrew,  and  was  Eve's  first  name.  It 
was  my  father's  fancy  to  give  it  to  me." 

"  Never  knew  before  that  Eve  had  any  other 
name  ! " 

"  You  will  find  it  given  in  the  margin  of  your 
Bible.     It  means  simply  '  woman.'  " 

"  Has  your  father  taught  you  Hebrew,  Miss 
Payne?" 

"  I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  has  not  thought  it 
necessary  to  do  so,"  replied  the  girl,  laughing. 


io8  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  I  suppose  you  know  a  lot  of  modern  lan- 
guages, though  ?  " 

"  Besides  the  French  and  German  I  learned  at 
school,  I  have  picked  up,  during  the  last  two 
years,  Arabic  and  modern  Greek,  and  can  speak 
both  languages  pretty  fluently." 

*'  Do  you  know,  Miss  Payne,  I  think  you  are 
one  of  the  pluckiest  girls  I  ever  met  ?  " 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  you  don't  think  I  did  wrong 
in  putting  on  these  boy's  things,"  returned  Isha, 
blushing  with  pleasure. 

''Wrong! "  repeated  the  young  man,  "  I  think 
it  was  a  remarkable  act  of  self-sacrifice.  I  am 
sure  that  even  the  most  frigidly  decorous  of 
Quaker  maiden  ladies  would  approve  of  it  under 
the  circumstances." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Aylward  !  there  are  thousands  of  girls 
who  would  have  done  the  same." 

"  For  their  lovers,  perhaps — not  for  their 
fathers." 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  the  young 
man  and  young  woman  gazed  in  silence  over 
the  moonlit  plain,  occupied  with  their  own 
thoughts.     Presently  Aylward  remarked — 

"  You  must  often  have  felt  the  want  of  com- 
panions of  your  own  sex  and  age  during  your 
wanderings.  Miss  Payne." 

"  Yes,  indeed.  It  would  have  made  such  a 
difference  if  a  sister,  or  even  a  young  brother  had 
been  with  me.     I  often  longed  for  a  girl-friend  to 


Isha  Payne*  109 

talk  to,  but  there  were  no  women,  of  course,  in 
the  monasteries  and  I  could  not  talk  to  the  Arab 
girls  we  sometimes  saw,  as  they  all  thought  I 
was  a  young  man ! "  replied  the  girl,  glancing 
down  at  her  Turkish  trousers  with  a  comical 
twist  of  her  mouth. 

"  I  suppose  your  father  and  you  sometimes 
met  with  adventures  in  your  journeys?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  have  had  some  strange  experi- 
ences,'* returned  Isha,  half  laughing  and  half 
sighing. 

*'  Would  you  mind  telling  me  some  of  them  ?  " 

''  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure,  Mr.  Aylward,  only 
you  must  not  think  that  the — the  inconveniences 
I  have  had  to  piit  up  with  were  due  to  any  want 
of  consideration  for  or  care  of  me  on  the  part  of 
my  dear  father.  The  troubles  we  have  met  with 
were  accidental  and  unavoidable." 

"  I  am  sure  that  your  father  would  not  need- 
lessly expose  you  to  any  risk  or  discomfort." 

"Well,  perhaps,  I  had  better  tell  you  first, 
what  happened  to  us  in  Abyssinia.  Early  last  year 
we  were  staying  in  a  Coptic  monastery  in  the  in- 
terior, the  black  monks  of  which  were  very  wicked 
men.  My  father,  on  discovering  what  dreadful 
lives  they  led,  was  anxious  to  take  me  away,  but 
we  could  not  leave  at  once,  as  our  horses  had  been 
stolen.  I  spent  a  miserable  month  there,  shut 
up  in  my  chamber  all  day.  The  superior  was  a 
good-natured  old  man,  but  a  great  drunkard  who 


no  The  Finding  of  Lot's  "Wife* 

had  no  control  over  his  monks.  One  day  they 
poisoned  him,  and  set  the  monastery  on  fire  and 
fled.  We  had  great  difficulty  in  escaping  from 
the  burning  building,  and,  still  more,  in  making 
our  way  on  foot  across  the  mountains  to  the 
next  monastery." 

"  Good  heavens  !  what  an  experience  !  "  cried 
Aylward,  aghast  at  the  perils  the  young  girl  had 
passed  through  but  of  which  she  spoke  so  calmly. 
**  Have  you  any  more  '  Inconveniences,'  as  I 
think  you  call  them,  to  relate  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Plenty,"  responded  the  girl  with  a  laugh. 
"  We  spent  the  winter  before  last  in  a  monastery 
among  the  Pasaroum  mountains  in  Persia,  and 
were  snowed  up  and  nearly  frozen  and  starved  to 
death.  When  we  had  consumed  all  our  stock 
of  provisions,  including  the  store  of  dried  apricots 
that  the  monks  had  prepared  during  the  autumn 
for  sale,  we  were  forced  to  boil  down  for  food, 
the  vellum  pages  of  ancient  and  priceless  books 
in  the  library  and  to  burn  their  covers  for  fuel. 
I  do  not  know  how  many  lives  of  the  saints, 
martyrologies,  and  works  of  the  Fathers  we  did 
not  eat  in  the  form  of  thin  soup  in  which  floated 
strips  of  pappy  vellum !  My  father  was  almost 
distracted  by  the  destruction  of  the  library,  and 
when,  in  our  extremity,  the  monks  cut  up  and 
boiled  a  magnificent  manuscript  of  the  Psalms, 
on  purple  vellum,  in  gold  letters,  beautifully 
illuminated   and   bound  with  jeweled  clasps,  he 


Isha  Payne»  in 

fairly  cried !     You   have    no    idea  how    thin  we 
all  were  when  the  thaw  came   at   last   and  freed 


us 


"  My  dear  young  lady,  you're  a  heroine  to  have 
faced  such  privations ! "  exclaimed  her  compan- 
ion, admiringly. 

'^  It  was  an  unpleasant  experience,"  admitted 
the  girl,  quietly.  *'  But  I  have  been  forced  to  wit- 
ness sights,  and  to  hear  things  which  I  found 
harder  to  bear.  Once  when  we  were  at  a  Maro- 
nite  monastery  in  Lebanon,  a  monk,  while  digging 
in  the  garden,  discovered  a  treasure-trove  con- 
sisting, as  my  father  said,  of  a  potful  of  silver 
coins  of  the  Selucidae,  Kings  of  Antioch.  The 
monks  tried  to  hide  the  treasure,  but  the  Pasha 
heard  of  it  and  claimed  it,  and  on  the  refusal  of 
the  monks  to  give  it  up,  attacked  the  monastery 
with  a  party  of  soldiers.  Several  of  the  inmates 
were  killed,  and  I  saw  their  bodies  lying  in  the 
courtyard.  Some  of  the  monks  were  then  put 
to  the  torture  to  make  them  confess  where  they 
had  concealed  the  money.  I  tried  to  shut  my 
ears  to  the  shrieks  of  the  poor  men,  but  I  heard 
them  through  the  blanket  I  wrapped  round  my 
head.  It  was  dreadful.  The  Pasha  soon  found 
the  treasure  and  carried  it  off." 

"  I  had  no  idea  that  such  things  were  done  in 
Palestine  now.  One  would  think  you  were  relat- 
ing an  incident  of  the  Middle  Ages,"  remarked 
Aylward,  deeply  interested. 


112  The  Findingf  of  Lot^s  "Wife^ 

Isha  then  related  briefly,  in  the  same  quiet, 
laatter-of-fact  fashion,  other  perils  which  she  and 
her  father  had  encountered :  how  they  had  been 
seized  and  kept  prisoners  in  a  cave  by  Kurdish 
robbers ;  how  their  camp,  while  traveling  in 
Abyssinia,  had  been  attacked  by  three  lions ; 
how  they  had  been  nearly  smothered  by  a  sand- 
storm while  crossing  a  desert,  and  other  inci- 
dents. 

The  shyness  the  girl  had  at  first  shown, 
had,  by  this  time,  worn  off,  and  she  talked  well 
and  amusingly,  showing  a  keen  sense  of  humor. 
The  pair  were  soon  very  good  friends,  and  grew 
confidential.  The  young  man  spoke  of  his  home 
in  England,  and  she  talked  to  him  of  her  school- 
life  and  girl  friends.  Involuntarily  they  drew 
closer  together  and  dropped  their  voices.  Ayl- 
ward  had  no  idea  that  he  was  not  behaving  to- 
wards his  companion  in  the  way  to  be  expected 
of  a  young  man  who  had  just  met  a  young  lady 
for  the  first  time.  The  strange  loveliness  of  the 
scene  round  them,  the  girl's  own  beauty,  and  his 
admiration  of  her  courage  and  devotion  to  her 
father,  unconsciously  affected*  his  manner.  He 
bent  towards  her  and  gazed  into  her  dark  gray 
eyes  earnestly  while  he  spoke  in  low  tender 
tones.  The  heart  of  the  girl  who,  for  over  two 
years,  had  been  cut  off  from  all  companionship, 
save  that  of  her  old  father,  thrilled  with  pleasure 
as  she  listened.     As  she  glanced  up  at  him  shyly 


Isha  Payne*  113 

from  time  to  time,  she  thought  what  a  good, 
manly  fellow  he  looked,  and  the  shame  she  felt 
that  he  should  see  her  in  such  hybrid  attire,  deep- 
ened every  minute,  and  called  up  frequent  flushes 
to  her  face.  They  had  been  talking  together  for 
some  considerable  time,  when  they  both  started 
on  hearing  Professor  Payne,  who  had  approached 
with  Yorke  unheard,  say — 

"  My  dear,  it  is  getting  late." 

"  Father,  dear,  I  think  I  could  stay  up  till 
daylight,  such  a  lovely  night  as  this,"  replied  his 
daughter,  turning  to  him  with  a  happy  smile  on 
her  face. 

**You  can  safely  do  so,  Miss  Payne.  You 
don't  want  any  beauty  sleep  ! "  said  the  artist. 

**  I  won't  risk  it,  Mr.  Yorke — good-night !  "  she 
replied,  shaking  hands  with  him.  She  then  held 
out  her  hand  to  Aylward  in  silence,  who  took  it 
also  in  silence.  It  somehow  did  not  seem  neces- 
sary for  either  of  them  to  say  anything.  As  they 
shook  hands,  their  eyes  met,  and  the  blush  and 
little  smile  that  instantly  appeared  on  the  girl's 
sweet  face,  showed  that  something  in  the  young 
man's  glance  had  pleased  her. 

''  Good-night,  gentlemen  !  I  too  must  re- 
tire," said  Professor  Payne,  and  went  off  with 
his  daughter.  Aylward  and  Yorke  watched  them 
in  silence  as  they  crossed  the  courtyard  till 
they  disappeared  in  the  deep  shadow  of  the 
cloister. 


114  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  Anything  more  scandalous  than  the  way  in 
which  you  flirted  with  that  girl  I  never  saw !  " 
exclaimed  the  latter  to  his  friend  severely,  when 
the  old  savant  and  his  daughter  were  out  of  ear- 
shot. *'  However,"  he  added,  "  you  had  some  ex- 
cuse, she's  very  pretty.'* 


CHAPTER  DL 

A  Judas* 

For  several  hours  the  two  young  men  walked 
up  and  down  the  courtyard,  or  sat  on  the  para- 
pet-wall along  the  precipice,  talking  earnestly 
together.  They  had  many  things  to  discuss ; 
the  discovery  of  the  monastery,  the  inexplicable 
conduct  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  on  their  arrival 
there,  the  meeting  with  the  old  savant  and  his 
pretty  daughter  and  the  marvelous  things  they 
had  learned  of  the  monastery  and  its  inmates. 
The  surroundings  were  so  strange  and  lovely, 
the  moonlight  so  brilliant,  the  air  so  still,  and 
the  silence  so  profound,  that  both  men  felt  as  if 
some  spell  was  on  them,  and  it  was  not  till 
nearly  midnight  that  they  sought  their  chamber. 
By  the  dim  light  of  a  lamp  burning  in  a  smoke- 
blackened  niche  in  the  wall,  they  saw  that  the 
dragoman  had  laid  out  their  carpets,  blankets 
and  pillows  on  the  floor.     In  a  few  minutes  they 


ii6  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

were  stretched  on  their  hard  beds,  courting  sleep  ; 
trying  to  shut  out  of  their  minds  the  exciting- 
events  of  the  day.  And  they  had  scarcely  closed 
their  eyes,  when  they  simultaneously  made  a 
horrible  discovery ;  the  room  swarmed  with  fleas 
of  the  liveliest  and  most  blood-thirsty  breed. 
In  a  few  minutes  both  men  were  slapping  and 
scratching  themselves  vigorously,  muttering  an- 
athemas and  expressions  of  disgust. 

"  This  is  awful,"  growled  Aylward,  sitting  up 
and  shaking  his  garment  furiously  to  dislodge 
the  enemy. 

"  They  told  us  at  Tiberias  that  the  King  of 
the  Fleas  held  his  court  there,  but  I  think  his 
Majesty  must  have  come  here  for  a  change  of  air, 
with  all  his  courtiers  and  subjects!"  exclaimed 
Yorke,  kicking  out  his  legs  violently. 

"  We  can't  possibly  stop  here ;  we  shall  be 
eaten  alive !  " 

"  At  any  rate  we  sha'n't  be  able  to  get  a  wink 
of  sleep.  Let's  wake  up  Georgis,  and  ask  him  to 
find  us  a  place  where  we  shall  not  be  dragged 
out  of  bed  by  ravenous  insects." 

The  dragoman,  with  the  cook  beside  him,  was 
sleeping  in  the  cloister  close  by,  wrapped  in  a 
white  sheet  and  snoring  loudly.  It  took  some 
time  to  rouse  him,  for  he  was  a  phenomenally 
heavy  sleeper.  When  he  at  length  realized  that 
some  one  was  shaking  him  violently,  while  some 
one  else  was  bumping  his  head  on  the  floor,  he 


A  Judas*  117 

emitted  a  series  of  loud  grunts,  and  finally  sat 
up.  Several  more  minutes  were  occupied  in 
making  him  understand  why  his  masters  had 
roused  him  so  unceremoniously. 

"  Fleas !  "  he  repeated  contemptuously,  on 
comprehending  the  state  of  affairs.  ''  What  for 
you  troubling  'bout  fleas,  Mr.  Yok?  You  stop 
quite  quiet,  and  after  little  time  they  all  go 
'way." 

"  Confound  you  !  Do  you  think  we  can  lie 
still  while  we  are  being  devoured  by  vermin,  you 
old  pachyderm  ?  Get  up  and^  tell  us  where  we 
can  sleep  in  peace." 

The  dragoman  was  deeply  insulted  by  the 
opprobrious  term  applied  to  him  by  the  artist, 
the  more  so  as  he  did  not  understand  its  mean- 
ing. Drawing  his  sheet  over  his  head  he  lay 
down  again  in  dignified  silence. 

"  Isn't  there  a  clean  room  anywhere  about 
where  we  can  sleep,  Georgis  ? "  asked  Aylward, 
when  the  dragoman  did  not  reply  to  his  friend's 
question. 

"  Better  go  and  sleep  in  the  church,  Mr. 
Ilwad.  No  fleas  ever  go  into  Christian  church," 
replied  Georgis,  in  a  sullen  tone  from  under  his 
sheet. 

'*By  Jove,  that's  a  queer  fact  in  natural  his- 
tory that  we  will  at  once  investigate  the  truth 
of  !  "  exclaimed  Yorke. 

"  The  church  stinks  of  incense  and  lamp  oil ; 


ii8  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

but  anything  is  better  than  the  fleas,"  remarked 
Aylward. 

They  returned  to  their  chamber  and  brought 
out  their  bedding,  and  having  beaten  and  shaken 
each  piece  to  get  rid  of  the  noxious  insects  it 
harbored,  tucked  the  bundles  under  their  arms 
and  made  for  the  church.  On  arriving  at  the 
open  doorway  they  saw  lights  inside  and  heard 
voices  and  supposed  that  midnight  service  was 
being  held  by  the  monks.  It  was,  of  course, 
impossible  for  them  to  use  the  church  as  a  dormi- 
tory while  the  [monks  were  at  prayers,  so  they 
resolved  to  go  quietly  in  and  look  on  till  the 
service  was  over. 

The  interior  of  the  church,  save  at  the  farther 
end,  was  steeped  in  darkness,  only  relieved  by 
the  moonlight  streaming  in  at  the  door.  None 
of  the  lamps  hanging  from  the  roof,  were  lit. 
The  hegoumenos,  clad  in  his  ceremonial  robes, 
sat  in  his  chair  of  office  before  the  gilded  altar 
screen.  On  either  side  of  him  stood  four  of  the 
monks,  each  with  a  dimly-burning  taper  in  his 
hand.  They  were  chanting  in  low,  deep,  mourn- 
ful tones  what  sounded  like  a  solemn  confession 
of  sin.  There  was  a  sort  of  wail  in  their  deep 
voices,  the  pathos  of  which  much  impressed  the 
two  men  listening.  Again  and  again  was  the 
refrain,  ''  O  God,  have  mercy  on  us !  O  Christ, 
have  compassion  on  us ! "  repeated  in  every  tone 
of  sorrowful  supplication. 


A  Judas*  119 

The  chant  was  at  length  concluded,  and  all  the 
monks  stood  for  a  long  time  in  silence  with  bent 
heads.  Presently  Father  Polycarp  raised  his 
hand  slowly,  and  at  the  signal  two  monks  ad- 
vanced from  some  recess  in  the  side  of  the  church 
where  they  had  remained  unseen  during  the 
singing.  They  led  between  them  another  monk, 
a  dark,  mean-looking  little  man,  on  whose 
sullen  face  looks  of  shame  and  fear  were  strug- 
gling with  a  resentful  scowl.  It  was  evident 
that  he  was  Brother  Barlaam,  the  monk  who,  as 
Professor  Payne  had  surmised,  had  broken  his 
vows.  It  was  obvious  too,  that  he  was  now 
about  to  be  tried  or  punished,  and  the  two 
Englishmen,  standing  unobserved  in  the  semi- 
darkness  at  the  end  of  the  church,  looked  on 
with  keen  interest. 

The  hegoumenos  regarded  the  sinning  and 
apparently  unrepentant  monk  for  some  moments 
in  silence,  with  a  stern  look  in  his  eyes.  He  then, 
in  measured  tones,  asked  some  question  to  which 
the  accused  made  no  reply.  The  question  was 
repeated  three  times,,  but  the  monk  was  obdur- 
ately silent.  A  short  silence  followed,  till 
Father  Polycarp,  with  an  expression  of  pain  on 
his  face,  and  with  an  obvious  effort,  made  a  sign 
to  one  of  the  monks  guarding  the  prisoner,  who 
produced  from  under  his  robe  a  scourge  of  three 
cords.  Another  monk,  standing  beside  the  hegou- 
menos,  stepped  forward  at  the  same  moment, 


I20  The  Finding:  of  Lofs  Wife* 

after  laying  his  burning  taper  on  the  floor,  to 
assist  in  the  punishment  about  to  be  adminis- 
tered. The  back  of  the  culprit  was  bared,  in 
spite  of  some  feeble  resistance  on  his  part,  and 
while  he  was  firmly  held  by  the  arms  by  two  of 
the  monks,  the  third  gave  him,  with  the  scourge, 
thirty-nine  blows,  which  were  counted  by  Father 
Polycarp  in  a  trembling  voice.  The  punishment 
was  far  from  severe,  yet  the  monk  under  disci- 
pline struggled  violently,  and  shrieked  and  whined 
for  mercy.  When  it  was  over,  he  fell  groveling 
on  the  floor.  Meanwhile  the  church  resounded 
with  the  sobs  and  groans  of  the  rest  of  the 
brethren. 

For  a  long  time  the  hegoumenos  sat  with  his 
face  in  his  hands,  obviously  unable  to  speak, 
while  his  monks  stood  in  their  places,  weeping 
with  downcast  faces.  Presently,  having  regained 
command  of  his  voice.  Father  Polycarp  looked 
up  and  began  to  address  the  writhing  monk  lying 
before  him.  Neither  Aylward  nor  Yorke  could 
understand  more  than  a  word  here  and  there  of 
what  the  hegoumenos  said  in  Greek,  but  his  ges- 
tures were  eloquent,  and  the  tenor  of  his  address 
was  clear  enough  to  them.  He  pointed  out  to  the 
cringing  culprit  the  enormity  of  the  crime  he  had 
committed,  reproaching  him,  with  deep  emotion, 
for  bringing  such  shame  and  sorrow  on  the 
brotherhood  as  had  never  been  known  since  its 
establishment    centuries   before.       He   exhorted 


A  Judas*  121 

him  to  repentance,  and  then  solemnly  pro- 
nounced on  him  sentence  of  expulsion  from  the 
monastery. 

The  two  young  men  in  the  doorway,  seeing 
that  the  monks  were  about  to  leave  the  church, 
slipped  out,  and  standing  in  a  dark  corner,  in 
the  shadow  of  the  rock,  waited  to  see  the  end  of 
the  strange  affair.  Presently,  all  the  monks 
headed  by  the  hegoumenos,  came  out  of  the 
church  in  procession  into  the  moonlight.  The 
prisoner,  who  had  been  stripped  of  his  monastic 
robe  and  hat  and  now  wore  the  dress  of  a  lay- 
man, followed,  guarded  by  two  monks.  The 
procession  marched  slowly  and  in  silence  to  the 
windlass  tower  and  disappeared  into  it.  The  two 
Englishmen  did  not  follow  them,  but  going  to 
the  parapet  wall,  watched  for  the  final  act  in  the 
scene  they  had  witnessed.  Presently  they  heard 
the  creaking  of  the  capstan,  and  saw  a  dark  ob- 
ject, which  they  knew  to  be  the  expelled  monk, 
being  lowered  to  the  foot  of  the  rock.  When  the 
rope  reached  the  ground,  they  saw  the  man  in  the 
net  disengage  himself  and  spring  to  his  feet. 
They  then  distinctly  saw  him  raise  his  clenched 
hand  towards  the  monastery  above  and  shake  it 
threateningly.  The  monks  apparently  did  not 
observe  their  late  brother's  action,  or  regarded 
it  only  as  fresh  evidence  of  his  evil  disposition, 
for  no  voice  of  censure  or  sorrow  came  from 
the  tower.     They   all  emerged   a  moment  later 


122  The  Finding:  of  Lofs  Wife* 

and  dispersed  dejectedly  and  in  silence  to  their 
cells. 

"  The  monastery  is  well  rid  of  that  fellow,"  ob- 
served Aylward,  "  ^  Scoundrel  '  was  written  in 
every  line  of  his  face.  I  wonder  what  offence  he 
committed  ?  " 

''  He  must  have  tried  to  murder  one  of  his  fel- 
low-monks by  pushing  him  over  the  precipice, 
perhaps,  or  have  attempted  something  equally 
atrocious,  judging  by  the  horror  and  agitation  of 
the  holy  men." 

**  It  was  a  strange  sight.  I  would  not  have 
missed  it  for  a  good  deal." 

The  two  men  watched  the  dark  figure  of  the 
ex-monk  crossing  the  plain  along  the  serpentine 
track  till  it  disappeared  in  the  distant  darkness. 
They  then  returned  to  the  church,  and  spreading 
their  bedding  on  the  floor  near  the  door,  lay 
down  to  sleep.  They  soon  found,  however, 
that  the  dragoman's  statement  that  the  sanctity 
of  the  church  was  respected  by  the  fleas  was 
purely  legendary.  There  were  as  many  lively 
members  of  that  insect  tribe  there  as  in  the 
chamber  they  had  fled  from.  Anathematizing 
the  monks  for  their  want  of  cleanliness,  they 
took  up  their  carpets  and  pillows,  and  making 
their  way  to  the  moonlit  courtyard,  laid  them 
in  the  open  air,  in  the  dark  shadow  of  an  olive- 
tree.  Here  they  were  not  molested  by  vermin ; 
but,  as  the  hours  passed,  the  air  grew  very  cold. 


A  Judas*  123 

Just  before  dawn  they  woke  from  their  uneasy 
sleep,  and  getting  up,  began  to  walk  up  and  down 
the  courtyard  briskly,  in  order  to  warm  them- 
selves. When  the  stiffness  resulting  from  their 
hard  beds  and  the  cold  had  passed  off,  they  went 
to  the  edge  of  the  precipice  and  stood,  wrapped  in 
their  blankets,  watching  the  dawning  of  the  day. 
The  first  gray  streaks  of  light  had  just  appeared 
in  the  east  when  the  faint  sound  of  deep  voices 
came  from  the  church.  The  monks  were  already 
at  their  morning  devotions.  The  two  men  began 
to  talk  about  the  strange  scene  they  had  wit- 
nessed during  the  night. 

''By  the  way,  Hal,"  exclaimed  Yorke,  ''do 
you  remember  the  Professor  telling  us  yesterday 
in  the  refectory,  that  when  any  monk  died  or 
left  the  monastery  a  candidate  for  admission  into 
the  brotherhood  invariably  presented  himself  at 
daybreak  next  morning?  We  shall  see  now, 
I  suppose,  whether  it  was  only  a  monkish  fable 
or  not.     I  can't  say  I  believe  it." 

"  If  it  is  not  true,  how  do  you  account  for  the 
fact  that  the  monastery  has  now,  and  has  appar- 
ently always  had,  its  full  complement  of  monks, 
though  they  have  no  communication  with  the 
the  outer  world  ?  " 

"  You  are  taking  that  for  granted.  I  am  not 
so  sure  that  they  have  no  means  of  communica- 
ting with  their  ecclesiastical  superiors  and  monks 
of  other  monasteries." 


124  The  Findings  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"Well,  but  from  what  the  Professsor  told  us 
yesterday,  it  was  evident  that  the  offence  for 
which  that  monk  was  unfrocked  and  ejected  last 
night,  could  have  been  committed  only  about 
three  days  ago,  which  would  scarcely  have  given 
time  for  the  hegoumenos  to  arrange  for  another 
man  to  take  his  place." 

"  By  Jove  !  Hal,  look  at  that  fellow  up  there  ! " 
Yorke  pointed  upwards  as  he  spoke. 

A  solitary  monk  was  standing  on  the  edge  of 
the  great  rock  above  them,  his  gaunt  figure,  in 
long  loose  robes  and  a  flanged  hat,  silhouetted 
against  the  gray  dawn.  He  was  gazing  from  his 
elevated  position  over  the  plain,  and  the  rigidity 
of  his  attitude  showed  that  he  was  watching 
eagerly  for  something. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Hal !  I  believe  he  is  on  the 
lookout  for  the  expected  man !  "  continued  the 
artist,  excitedly. 

At  that  moment  the  watching  monk  suddenly 
changed  his  position.  He  bent  forward,  and 
every  line  of  his  dark  form  became  instinct  with 
intense  expectation.  He  shaded  his  eyes  with  his 
hand  as  if  to  strengthen  his  vision,  and  stood  like 
a  statue  for  a  few  moments.  Then'he  uttered  a 
loud  cry,  and  turned,  and  disappeared,  to  reap- 
pear a  few  seconds  later  running  rapidly  down  the 
stone  steps  cut  in  the  steep  face  of  the  rock. 
Darting  into  the  courtyard,  he  seized  the  mallet 
of  the  semandron  and  began  to  pound  the   bar 


A  Judas.        ^     ^tx./^25 

like  a  madman.  The  sonorous  vibrations  went 
rolling  in  waves  of  sound  across  the  plain  and 
broke  in  countless  echoes  on  the  cliffs  around. 
The  chanting  that  came  from  the  church  ceased 
at  the  first  clang  of  the  semandron ;  but  a  mo- 
ment later  it  rose  again  louder  and  clearer.  The 
monks  had  broken  into  a  paean  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving. 

Meanwhile  Aylward  and  Yorke  were  looking 
eagerly  over  the  plain  for  the  cause  of  the  monk's 
excitement.  At  first  they  could  see  nothing,  ow- 
ing to  the  deep  shadows  of  the  mountains,  but 
when  the  light  grew  stronger,  they  saw  in  the 
dim  distance  a  small  moving  object  coming  ap- 
parently towards  the  rock.  The  two  friends 
glanced  at  one  another  on  catching  sight  of  it. 
Aylward  made    no  remark,  but  Yorke  muttered  : 

"  It's  all  humbug!  a  pious  fraud  of  the  monks! 
It  can't  be  anything  else  !  " 

They  watched  with  keen  interest  the  approach 
of  the  object,  which,  when  looked  at  through  a 
powerful  telescope,  which  the  artist  fetched  from 
their  chamber,  proved  to  be  a  solitary  man 
carrying  a  staff,  and  nothing  else.  He  was  walk- 
ing rapidly  and  followed  the  dangerous  path 
winding  among  the  salt  pools  and  bitumen  pits 
of  the  plain,  as  if  he  was  familiar  with  it.  The 
sun  had  just  risen  over  the  mountains  when  he 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  rock. 

By  this  time  the  monks  had  made  their  prep- 


J 26  The  Finding  of  Lofs  Wife* 

arations  for  receiving  the  new  brother.  They 
had  come  in  procession  out  of  the  church  headed 
by  the  hegoumenos  in  his  vestments  and  had 
gone  to  the  windlass  tower ;  the  two  Englishmen 
followed  them  there  and  stood  looking  on.  The 
rope  was  lowered  and  touched  the  ground  just  as 
the  stranger  reached  the  spot. 

"  Get  into  the  net,  my  son,  and  we  will  draw 
you  up !  "  cried  Father  Polycarp  to  him  through 
the  trapdoor.  The  man  did  as  directed  and  the 
monks  began  to  turn  the  capstan. 

When  the  new-comer  had  been  hoisted  into 
the  tower  and  was  released  from  the  net  he 
proved  to  be  a  tall,  powerfully-built  young  man 
wkh  a  black  beard  and  a  broad  honest  face. 
He  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  hegoumenos  and  ex- 
claimed in  Greek,  in  a  singularly  clear,  musical 
voice : 

"  Father,  I,  Manon,  a  humble  follower  of 
Christ,  and  an  unworthy  servant  of  the  Church, 
crave  to  be  admitted  to  the  Brotherhood  of  St. 
Lot." 

"  God  has  sent  you  to  us,  my  son !  You  are 
welcome  in  His  name — thrice  welcome  !  "  cried 
Father  Polycarp  joyfully,  raising  him  and  kissing 
him  on  both  cheeks.  All  the  other  monks  em- 
braced him  in  turn,  welcoming  him.  The  hegou- 
menos then  raised  a  psalm  of  thanksgiving,  and 
led  the  way  back  to  the  church,  holding  the  new 
brother  by  the  hand.     The  faces  of  the  monks  as 


A  Judas.  127 

they  followed  singing,  exhibited  the  utmost  satis- 
faction and  joy,  their  gloomy  sorrow-stricken 
looks  having  all  disappeared.  Yorke's  suspicions 
were  dispelled  at  once,  though  he  would  not  own 
it. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it  all  now,  Noel  ?  " 
asked  his  friend  when  all  the  monks  had  disap- 
peared into  the  church.  The  artist  shook  his 
head  gravely  and  did  not  reply  to  the  question. 

"  Let  us  go  and  make  ourselves  decent,  the 
Professor  and  Miss  Payne  will  be  out  soon,"  he 
said. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Selim« 

Neither  Aylward  nor  Yorke  cared  to  enter 
again  the  insect-infested  chamber  out  of  which 
they  had  been  driven  during  the  night,  so  per- 
formed their  ablutions  and  toilet  in  the  cloister 
outside.  They  had  just  finished  when  they  heard 
the  voices  of  Professor  Payne  and  his  daughter, 
who  were  coming  down  the  steps  from  their 
chambers  above,  and  went  to  meet  them.  Both 
men  saw,  on  glancing  at  the  girl  as  she  entered 
the  courtyard,  that  the  moonlight  the  evening 
before  had  not  deceived  them  as  to  her  appear^ 
ahce.  From  the  short  curly  hair,  which  clus- 
tered round  her  sweet  face,  to  her  dainty  little 
feet  Isha  Payne  was  as  pretty  a  girl  as  they  kad 
seen  for  a  long  time.  She  still  wore  a  shawl 
draped  round  her  loose  Turkish  trousers,  with 
one  end  thrown  over  her  shoulder  plaid-wise. 
The  crisp  morning  air  had  tinted  her  somewhat 


Selim*  129 

pale  cheeks  and  added  lustre  to  her  dark  gray 
eyes.  Her  picturesque  dress,  graceful  form 
and  lovely  face  made  her  a  charming  little  figure. 
On  meeting  the  two  friends  she  glanced  quickly 
at  Aylward,  but  spoke  to  Yorke  first,  who,  with 
his  usual  assurance,  complimented  her  on  her 
looks. 

"Traveling  in  the  wilds  seems  to  suit  you, 
Miss  Payne,  if  bright  eyes  are  any  criterion,"  he 
remarked,  after  they  had  exchanged  morning  sal- 
utations. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  that 
has  had  that  nice  effect,  Mr.  Yorke !  "  replied 
the  girl,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  wish — I  do  wish  I  could  hope  that,  Miss 
Payne!  "  exclaimed  the  artist  with  mock  earnest- 
ness, laying  his  hand  on  his  heart. 

As  Isha  shyly  offered  her  hand  to  Aylward 
there  was  a  look  in  her  eyes  which  caused  the 
young  man  to  gaze  keenly  at  her,  retaining  the 
little  hand  in  his  grasp.  Neither  of  them  spoke, 
but  after  a  few  seconds  Isha  withdrew  her  hand  a 
little  abruptly  and  turned  away,  but  the  half-sup- 
pressed smile  on  her  face  showed  that  she  was 
far  from  resenting  his  apparent  rudeness.  Yorke 
oljiperved  this  somewhat  singular  behavior  on  the 
part  of  his  friend  and  the  young  lady — they  had 
met  for  the  first  time  so  recently — and  his  eyes 
twinkled  with  amusement. 

"  I  hope  you  slept  well,  gentlemen  ;  but,  judg- 


130  The  Finding  of  Lot's  "Wife. 

ing  by  my  own  experiences  I  fear  you  must  have 
passed  an  uncomfortable  night,"  said  Professor 
Payne,  shaking  hands  with  both  men. 

"  We  had  some  strange  experiences  during  the 
night,  Professor,"  replied  Yorke,  who  went  on  to 
tell  him  of  the  torment  they  had  suffered  from 
the  fleas ;  of  their  retreat  to  the  church ;  of  the 
punishment  of  Brother  Barlaam  which  they  had 
witnessed  there ;  of  his  explusion  from  the  mon- 
astery, and  of  the  apparently  miraculous  advent 
of  his  successor,  to  all  of  which  the  old  savant  and 
his  daughter  listened  with  deep  interest. 

"  It  strikes  me.  Professor,  that  this  monastery  is 
a  survival  of  the  days  of  miracles.  There  is 
nothing  too  strange  to  happen  here.  If  you  as- 
sured me  that  the  monks  wore  wings  under  their 
robes,  and  were  accustomed  to  fly  about  the  rock 
like  pigeons  on  saint's  days,  I  should  believe  you 
implicitly  after  what  we  have  seen,"  said  the 
artist  in  conclusion. 

He  had  scarcely  finished  speaking  when  the 
whole  party  was  startled  by  hearing  the  report  of 
a  gun  from  below,  followed  by  loud  shouts.  On 
going  to  the  parapet-wall  and  looking  down  they 
saw,  to  their  great  surprise,  a  large  party  .of 
mounted  and  armed  Arabs  below  the  windlass- 
tower. 

"They're  the  Beni  Azaleh !  What's  brought 
them  back,  I  wonder  ?  "  exclaimed  Yorke. 

"  Perhaps  their  consciences  troubled  them  for 


Selim*  131 

deserting  you  so  unceremoniously  yesterday  and 
they  have  returned  to  offer  to  escort  you  out  of 
the  mountains,"  suggested  Isha. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  not  why  they  have 
come,  my  dear.  The  conscience  of  a  Bedawi 
may  be  described  in  mathematical  language  as 
an  unknown  quantity,"  remarked  her  father, 
dryly. 

**Our  friend  El  Jezzar  is  with  them,  I  see,"  ob- 
served Yorke,  turning  to  Aylward.  **  I  don't 
think  he  has  any  conscience  about  him  worth 
mentioning.  It  isn't  any  good  motive  that  has 
brought  the  villain  back." 

By  this  time  the  report  of  the  gun  and  the 
shouting  of  the  Arabs  had  roused  the  monks. 
The  hegoumenos,  attended  by  two  or  three 
brothers,  made  his  appearance  and  descended  to 
the  windlass-tower.  Yorke  and  Aylward,  hoping 
to  find  that  the  Beni  Azaleh,  acting  on  some 
Bedawin  code  of  honor,  had  returned  to  escort 
their  late  guests  to  Mar  Saba,  followed  the 
monks,  accompanied  by  Professor  Payne  and  his 
daughter.  When  they  entered  the  tower  the 
monks  were  just  opening  the  trap-door  in  its 
floor.  Father  Polycarp  stood  for  a  few  moments 
looking  down  on  the  Arabs,  a  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  below,  who  presented  a  curiously  fore- 
shortened appearance.  He  then  demanded  in 
Arabic  what  they  wanted.  The  harsh  voice  of 
El  Jezzar  was  heard  in  reply. 


132  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  We  are  men  of  the  Beni  Azaleh.  We  know 
that  you  have  the  son  of  our  sheikh  up  there, 
and  we  require  you  to  give  him  up  to  us  at 
once." 

"  O,  father,  they  have  come  for  Stephanos !  " 
exclaimed  Isha,  on  hearing  these  words. 

"  May  I  ask  who  Stephanos  is.  Miss  Payne," 
said  Aylward. 

"  He  is  a  Bedawi  boy,  Mr.  Aylward,  who,  the 
monks  say,  came  alone  to  the  foot  of  the  rock 
about  six  months  ago  and  asked  to  be  admitted 
to  the  monastery  as  he  wished  to  be  a  Christian. 
They  took  him  in,  and  after  instructing  him  for 
some  months,  baptised  him.  He  is  here  now. 
I  wonder  that  you  have  not  seen  him." 

Yorke  uttered  an  ejaculation  on  hearing  that 
there  was  an  Arab  boy  in  the  monastery. 

"  By  Jove  !  So  Master  Selim,  who  was  sup- 
posed to  have  been  carried  off  by  evil  spirits,  is 
here,  is  he  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Selim  is  his  Arabic  name  ;  but  how  did  you 
know  it,  Mr.  Yorke?"  asked  Isha,  in  surprise. 

"  His  sister  told  me  about  him,"  replied  the 
artist,  and  he  proceeded  to  relate  to  the  others 
the  story  Ay^da  had  told  him  of  the  mysterious 
disappearance  of  her  young  brother  ;  of  the  fruit- 
less search  made  for  him,  and  its  unhappy  end- 
ing in  the  insanity  of  her  father. 

**  I  wonder  how  his  people  found  out  that  he 
was  here  ?  "  observed  Isha,  deeply  interested. 


Selinru  133 

"  The  boy  was  in  the  tower  yesterday  when 
our  friends  arrived,  and  his  tribesmen  must  have 
caught  sight  of  him  through  the  trap-door,"  re- 
marked her  father. 

''Which  accounts  for  their  extraordinary  be- 
havior at  the  time,"  said  Aylward.  ''They  no 
doubt  rode  off  to  the  camp  at  once  with  the 
news." 

While  they  were  talking  together  Father 
Polycarp,  who  had  not  replied  to  El  Jezzar's 
demand,  had  sent  one  of  the  monks  to  call  the 
boy  for  whom  the  Arabs  had  come.  The 
brother  returned  in  a  few  minutes,  accompanied 
by  a  remarkably  handsome  boy  of  fifteen,  who 
was  no  darker  in  color  than  any  of  the  monks. 
He  was  dressed  in  a  white  robe  descending  to 
his  knees,  and  was  bareheaded  and  barefooted. 
Yorke  saw  at  once  that  he  was  the  living  image 
of  his  sister  Ay^da. 

"  What  a  good-looking  youngster  he  is;  one 
would  think  he  was  a  girl  in  disguise,"  he  re- 
marked, and  then  silently  apostrophized  himself 
as  an  ass,  while  Isha  blushed  consciously. 

The  hegoumenos,  taking  the  boy  by  the  arm, 
led  him  to  the  trap-door  and  pointed  down  at 
the  Beni  Azaleh  below. 

"  Stephanos,  my  son,  your  brethren  have  come 
for  you,"  he  said  in  Arabic. 

"  Father,  I  see  them,"  replied  the  boy,  in  a  soft 
voice. 


134  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  Will  you  return  to  your  tribe  with  them  or 
will  you  stay  with  us,  my  son  ?  " 

"  Father,  with  your  permission  I  will  stay  here 
with  you  and  the  brothers." 

"  My  son,  think  well  before  you  speak  again," 
said  Father  Polycarp,  in  a  kind  voice.  "■  If  you 
return  to  your  tribe  you  will  some  day  be  their 
sheikh  and  be  honored  of  men." 

"  Father,  have  you  not  taught  me  that  it  is 
better  to  please  God  than  to  receive  honor  of 
men?     I  will  stay  here  and  serve  Him." 

"You  are  young,  my  son,  and  it  may  be  that 
you  will  grow  weary  of  us  and  yearn  to  return  to 
the  world  you  are  renouncing.  For  the  third 
time  I  ask  you,  will  you  stay  with  us  or  return 
to  your  brethren?" 

The  hegoumenos  spoke  in  a  voice  that  qua- 
vered with  anxiety. 

"  Father,  though  you  ask  me  a  hundred  times 
I  shall  give  no  other  answer :  I  will  stay  here  till 
God  takes  me." 

"  The  blessing  of  the  triune  God,  the  Father, 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit  rest  on  you,  my 
son  !  "  exclaimed  Father  Polycarp,  tears  of  joy 
starting  to  his  eyes.  The  monks  crowded  round 
the  boy,  patting  him  on  the  head  and  praising 
him.  Yorke,  exclaiming  "  Good  lad !  "  shook 
hands  with  him,  in  which  kindly  act  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  Professor  Payne  and  Isha.  Aylward, 
who  had  not  understood  the  conversation  between 


Selim. 


'35 


the   hegoumenos   and  the  boy,  looked  on  with 
surprise. 

Father  Polycarp  now  went  to  the  trap-door 
and  cried  in  a  joyful  voice  to  the  Beni  Azaleh 
below  that  the  boy,  having  been  given  his  choice 
of  leaving  the  monastery  or  staying,  had  decided 
to  remain  with  them. 

''  Let  him  say  so  himself !  "  shouted  El  Jezzar, 
incredulously,  in  reply. 

At  a  sign  from  the  hegoumenos  Selim  came  to 
the  trap-door  and  stood  for  a  moment  looking 
down  on  his  tribesmen  in  silence.  Then  he  said 
in  a  clear,  quiet  voice  : 

"  Has'n  ibu  Menifeh,  I  that  speak  to  you  am 
your  cousin  Selim.  I  have  resolved  to  remain 
here  the  rest  of  my  life  serving  God.  Let  me  be 
to  you  all  as  one  that  is  dead." 

On  hearing  these  words  the  whole  party  of 
horsemen  gave  a  shout  of  surprise  and  anger 
and  began  to  talk  together  excitedly.  The 
hegoumenos  ordered  the  trap-door  to  be  closed 
and  taking  the  boy  affectionately  by  the  hand 
led  the  way  out  of  the  tower,  followed  by  all 
present. 

Professor  Payne  and  his  daughter  and  the  two 
young  Englishmen  returned  to  the  courtyard  and 
leaning  over  the  parapet-wall  watched  the  doings 
of  the  Beni  Azaleh  below.  A  number  of  the 
older  men  among  them  dismounted  and  seated 
themselves   on  the  ground,  holding  their   mares 


136  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

by  their  rope  bridles.  A  long  discussion  fol- 
lowed, but  little  of  what  was  said  could  be  heard 
by  those  above.  The  rest  of  the  horsemen  occu- 
pied themselves  in  shouting  to  the  boy  Selim  to 
show  himself  and  speak  again  with  them,  and  in 
uttering  curses  and  threats  against  the  monks. 
Presently  all  the  men  who  had  dismounted  rose 
to  their  feet  and  springing  on  their  mare's  backs 
prepared  to  ride  off.  But  before  they  left  a 
party  of  them  went  to  the  cave  at  the  foot  of 
the  rock,  where  the  horses  and  mules  belonging 
to  Aylward's  party  were  tethered,  and  led  them 
out. 

"  The  scoundrels  are  going  to  steal  our  nags, 
Hal!"  exclaimed  Yorke  furiously  on  seeing 
this,  and  he  hurried  off  to  their  chamber  to  get 
a  rifle  and  ammunition,  with  which  he  hoped  to 
so  intimidate  the  Arabs  as  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
theft. 

Meanwhile  the  Beni  Azaleh  had  ridden  off  a 
short  distance  and  had  then  stopped  for  the  party 
driving  the  stolen  horses  and  donkeys  to  come 
up.  El  Jezzar  was  directing  operations.  Glanc- 
ing up  as  he  rode  in  the  rear,  he  caught  sight  of 
Professor  Payne  and  his  daughter,  and  Aylward, 
watching  them  from  above,  and  a  murderous 
scowl  appeared  on  his  dark  face.  He  unslung 
the  long-barreled  gun  hanging  at  his  back  and 
examined  its  flint  lock  and  priming. 

*'  You  think  yourselves  safe  up  there,  O  bastard 


Selim*  137 

sons  of  unbelieving  mothers  !  but,  please  God,  we 
shall  find  means  to  reach  you,  when  we  will  cut. 
the  throat  of  every  dog  of  you  !"  he  yelled. as  he 
raised  the  sickle-shaped  stock  of  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder  and  pulled  the  stiff  trigger. 

Aylward  saw  the  ruffian's  action,  and,  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment,  caught  Isha,  who  was 
leaning  over  the  wall  beside  him,  round  the  waist 
and  dragged  her  back.  The  next  second  the  ill- 
fitting  bullet  from  El  Jezzar's  gun  went  singing 
past  just  over  their  heads,  cut  through  the  leaves 
of  the  olive-tree  behind  them,  and  struck  the 
wall  of  rock  behind. 

''  Pray  forgive  my  violence.  Miss  Payne.  I 
saw  that  the  scoundrel  was  going  to  fire,  and 
there  was  no  time  to  warn  you  !  "  exclaimed 
Aylward,  as  the  girl  disengaged  herself  blushingly 
from  his  grasp. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  forgive,  Mr.  Aylward,  but 
much  to  be  grateful  for.  I  think  you  saved  my 
life,"  replied  the  girl,  softly. 

"Indeed  he  did,  my  dear!"  exclaimed  her 
father,  grasping  Aylward's  hand.  "The  bullet 
would  certainly  have  struck  you  but  for  our 
friend's  presence  of  mind.  Pray  accept  our 
warmest  thanks,  sir." 

At  this  moment  Yorke  returned  with  his  rifle 
loaded  and  capped.  Before  Aylward  could  pre- 
vent him  he  had  advanced  to  the  parapet  wall, 
and  taking  a  hasty  aim  had  fired  over  the  retiring 


13^  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

party  of  horsemen.  The  bullet  did  no  harm,  but 
the  effect  of  the  shot  was  ludicrous.  The  Beni 
Azaleh,  who  had  been  riding  jauntily  away  flour- 
ishing their  weapons,  on  hearing  the  report  of  the 
rifle  and  the  whistle  of  the  ball  over  their  heads, 
spurred  their  mares  furiously  and  galloped  off, 
bending  low  in  their  saddles. 

"  I'll  give  the  thieving  blackguards  another 
shot ! "  exclaimed  Yorke,  raising  his  rifle  again. 
But  Aylward  interposed. 

*'  Don't,  Noel.  You  can't  prevent  them  carry- 
ing off  the  beasts  now,  and  you  might  hit  one  of 
them  and  make  matters  worse  for  us." 

The  artist  saw  the  force  of  his  friend's  remon- 
strance and  forbore  to  fire.  They  all  watched 
the  flight  of  the  alarmed  Arabs  with  much  amuse- 
ment and  some  concern,  for  they^  momentarily 
expected  to  see  one  or  more  of  them  engulfed  in 
the  salt  pools  and  black  pits  that  yawned  on  both 
sides  of  the  winding  path.  The  whole  party 
however  got  safely  across  the  plain  with  the 
stolen  horses  and  donkeys  and  disappeared 
through  the  tunnel-like  passage  at  the  southern 
end  of  the  vallejj. 

Professor  Payne,  his  daughter,  and  the  two 
young  men  spent  the  day  together.  They  took 
their  morning  meal  in  a  corner  of  the  cloister, 
waited  on  by  the  portly  dragoman  with  much 
sulky  dignity,  for  he  was  brooding  over  the  insult- 
ing term  which  he  supposed  Yorke  to  have  ap- 


Selim^  139 

plied  to  him  during  the  night.  They  had  much 
to  talk  about,  and  the  conversation  and  laughter 
never  flagged.  The  Professor  told  several  capi- 
tal stories,  some  comical,  others  almost  tragical. 
They  were  all  personal  experiences,  and  though 
simply  told  showed  what  an  adventurous  life  the 
old  savant  had  led  in  the  pursuit  of  his  studies, 
and  what  remarkable  courage,  patience  and  tact 
he  possessed.  Isha  proved  that  she  could  talk 
well  and  amusingly,  and  charmed  her  new  friends 
by  her  pretty  ways  and  quaint  remarks. 

After  the  meal  they  all  went  out  into  the 
shady  courtyard,  and  very  soon  Aylward  found 
himself  alone  with  Isha,  his  friend  having  en- 
gaged her  father  in  an  animated  conversation  on 
some  subject  of  absorbing  interest  to  the  old 
man.  As  soon  as  the  young  man  and  maiden 
discovered  that  they  were  out  of  earshot  of  their 
companions  they  suddenly  grew  silent  and 
walked  up  and  down  the  courtyard  more  than 
once  without  exchanging  a  word.  At  length 
Isha,  glancing  up  shyly,  broke  the  embarrassing 
silence  by  a  remark  regarding  the  olive-blossoms 
on  the  ground,  and  soon  the  pair  were  talking 
merrily  together.  Before  long  the  sun  grew  too 
hot  for  walking  to  be  pleasant,  so  they  seated 
themselves  close  together  in  a  hollow  of  an 
ancient  olive-tree  and  talked  uninterruptedly  for 
a  couple  of  hours  or  more.  When  the  semandron 
clanged  as  a  signal  that  the  monks'  midday  meal 


I40  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

was  ready  they  felt  as  if  they  had  known  each 
other  for  years.  As  they  rose  at  the  sound  out  of 
the  tree-hollow  there  was  an  expression  on  the 
girl's  sweet  face  and  a  light  in  her  great  gray  eyes 
that  showed  how  thoroughly  she  had  been  en- 
joying herself,  while  Aylward's  face  had  a  happy 
flush  on  it.  They  discovered  on  looking  round 
that  Professor  Payne  and  Yorke  had  left  the 
courtyard,  and  went  in  search  of  them.  They 
met  them  returning  from  the  library,  where  the 
artist  had  been  feasting  his  eyes  on  the  exquisite 
works  of  art  treasured  there.  They  all  went  to- 
gether to  the  refectory  and  dined  in  company 
with  the  monks. 

The  faces  of  the  brothers  seated  round  the 
table  wore  very  different  expressions  to  those 
that  had  clouded  them  during  the  meal  the  day 
before.  Satisfaction  and  joy  now  reigned  in 
every  face.  Brother  Manon,  the  new  monk,  sat 
at  the  bottom  of  the  table,  with  devout  happi- 
ness written  on  every  feature.  Behind  Father 
Polycarp  stood  the  Arab  boy  Selim,  who,  after 
grace  had  been  said,  waited  on  the  monks.  They 
received  his  services  in  silence,  but  with  kindly 
looks  and  little  affectionate  pats  on  the  arm. 
When  the  repast  was  over  and  as  the  monks 
were  leaving  the  refectory  Yorke  asked,  through 
Professor  Payne,  the  permission  of  the  hegou- 
menos  to  speak  to  the  boy,  which  was  at  once 
accorded  with  a  smile. 


Selim*  141 

''You  have  not  forgotten,  it  seems,  what  the 
English  effendi  and  his  lady  taught  you  at  your 
camp  in  the  desert,  Selim,  son  of  Abou  Mansftr," 
he  said  to  him  in  Arabic. 

The  boy  started  with  surprise  on  hearing  the 
words. 

"  Oh,  my  lord,  did  you  know  the  holy  effendi 
and  the  hatoun,  blessed  among  women?"  he 
burst  out  eagerly,  his  face  aglow  with  delight. 

"  No,  O  boy ;  but  I  heard  of  them  from  your 
people.     Tell  me  of  them." 

It  was  soon  evident  that  no  more  welcome 
request  could  have  been  made  to  the  boy.  It 
was  a  keen  pleasure  to  him  to  talk  of  the  good 
old  Englishman  and  his  wife,  who  had  lived  so 
long  with  his  tribe,  whose  memory  he  so  revered, 
and  whose  teachings  had  brought  about  so  great 
a  change  in  his  life.  Speaking  in  the  picturesque 
language  of  the  desert,  and  with  many  graceful 
gestures,  he  poured  out  to  the  artist  the  story  of 
the  sojourn  of  the  effendi  and  his  lady  among 
the  Beni  Azaleh.  His  beautiful  face  shone  as  he 
spoke  of  their  saintly  character  and  how  they 
were  honored  and  loved  by  all  the  tribe.  When 
he  alluded  to  the  affection  they  had  shown  him, 
and  to  the  care  they  had  bestowed  on  him  in 
teaching  him  their  holy  faith,  it  was  in  a  low 
voice,  as  if  their  love  for  him  was  almost  too 
sacred  a  thing  for  him  to  speak  of.  His  voice 
broke  and  tears  welled  into  his  dark  eyes  when 


142  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

he  related  the  death  of  the  hatoun,  followed  by 
that  of  the  aged  effendi. 

Yorke  was  moved  by  the  emotion  shown  by 
the  boy,  and  talked  to  him  a  long  time.  He 
thought  of  telling  him  of  the  mental  condition 
in  which  his  unhappy  father  was,  and  of  the  deep 
sorrow  felt  by  his  sister  at  his  disappearance  and 
supposed  death,  but  forebore  to  do  so,  reflecting 
that  it  would  only  distress  him  unnecessarily. 
He  however  told  him  what  little  he  had  been 
able  to  learn  of  the  affairs  of  the  Beni  Azaleh 
while  in  their  camp.  Though  the  boy  had  re- 
nounced his  tribe  and  kindred  he  was  eager  to 
hear  news  of  them,  and  asked  numerous  ques- 
tions, many  of  which  the  artist  was  not  able  to 
answer.  Professor  Payne  and  Isha  joined  in  the 
conversation,  and  the  latter  translated  to  Ayl- 
ward  most  of  what  was  said  by  the  boy,  who 
was  evidently  a  great  favorite  with  her. 

When  they  left  the  refectory  the  party  sepa- 
rated, and  they  all  sought  the  cool  seclusion  of 
their  chambers,  away  from  the  heat  and  glare. 
The  surface  of  the  great  rock  had  become  so 
heated  by  the  sun  that  the  bare  hand  could  not 
be  laid  on  it  with  impunity.  There  was  not  a 
breath  of  wind  stirring,  the  only  air  in  motion 
being  what  rose,  like  the  hot  blast  of  a  furnace, 
from  contact  with  the  glowing  face  of  the  rock. 
Aylward  and  Yorke  lay  on  the  floor  of  their 
chamber,  which  had  been  thoroughly  cleansed  of 


Selim.  143 

its  insect  pests  by  Hanna  the  cook,  who  had 
swept  it  with  a  flaming  torch  and  consumed  them 
all.  The  young  men,  having  passed  an  uncom- 
fortable sleepless  night,  now  slept  soundly,  in 
spite  of  the  heat  and  motionless  air.  It  was  late 
in  the  afternoon  when  they  awoke  and  shouted  to 
the  dragoman  to  bring  water  and  towels.  Hav- 
ing refreshed  themselves  they  went  out  to  the 
courtyard,  where  they  found  Professor  Payne  and 
Isha  sitting  under  one  of  the  olive-trees.  Yorke 
was  just  about  to  utter  some  commonplace  about 
the  heat  when  there  came  across  the  salt  plain 
the  distant  but  unmistakable  roar  of  some  an- 
imal. 

"A  lion,  by  Jove!  I  had  no  idea  there  were 
any  here  !  "  exclaimed  the  artist. 

^'  It  seemed  to  me  more  like  the  bellow  of  a 
vicious  camel,"  remarked  the  professor,  to  whose 
ears  the  sound  was  familiar. 

"  We  ought  to  be  able  to  see  the  brute,  what- 
ever it  is,"  observed  Aylward,  going  to  the 
parapet-wall,  followed  by  the  rest.  "  Hello  !  " 
he  added  in  surprise,  as  he  glanced  across  the 
plain. 

A  string  of  heavily  laden  camels  was  defiling 
into  the  valley  through  the  narrow  entrance  at 
the  end  of  it,  stalking  along  in  stately  delibera- 
tion with  necks  and  noses  in  the  air.  Troops  of 
horses  and  baggage-donkeys  and  flocks  of  goats 
followed   them.     A   number   of   horsemen   then 


144  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

appeared,  who  galloped  about  keeping  the  strag- 
gling caravan  in  line.  Parties  of  women  and 
children  trudging  on  foot  brought  up  the  rear. 
On  entering  the  plain  the  caravan  stopped,  and 
it  was  soon  evident  that  they  were  about  to  camp 
under  the  cliffs.  Before  long  the  baggage  ani- 
mals had  been  unladen  and  numerous  black  tents 
began  to  rise.  The  angry  roars  of  the  camels, 
the  cries  of  their  drivers,  "  Haa-o  !  had-o  !  "  the 
neighing  and  whinnying  of  the  horses  and  mares, 
the  braying  of  donkeys,  the  bleating  of  goats  and 
the  shrill  voices  of  women  could  be  plainly 
heard. 

"  The  whole  tribe  of  the  Beni  Azeleh,  by  all 
that's  wonderful !  What  brings  them  here  ? " 
exclaimed  Yorke,  on  seeing  this. 

"They  are  come  to  besiege  the  monastery,  I 
think,"  remarked  the  Professor,  quietly. 

"  Great  Caesar  !     You  don't  mean  that  ?  " 

"  I  fear  so,  sir.  Their  object,  no  doubt,  is  to 
intimidate  the  monks,  and  force  them  to  give  up 
the  son  of  their  sheikh." 

"It  can  be  nothing  else,"  observed  Aylward. 
"  For  what  other  reason  would  they  break  up 
their  camp  and  come  to  this  waterless,  pasture- 
less  plain  ?  " 

The  proceedings  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  soon 
proved  that  Professor  Payne  had  been  right  in 
his  surmise.  They  laid  out  their  camp  in  a  way 
which  his  experience  told  him  showed  that  they 


Selim*  145 

intended  it  to  be  a  permanent  one.  The  tents 
were  pitched  in  line,  spaces  for  tethering  the 
camels,  horses  and  goats  were  marked  out,  and 
men  could  be  seen  digging  under  the  cliffs  appar- 
ently with  the  hope  of  finding  water. 

Yorke  was  the  only  one  of  the  party  who 
seemed  disturbed  by  the  coming  of  the  Beni 
Azaleh  and  their  apparently  hostile  intentions. 
The  discovery  of  the  monastery  had  delighted 
him,  and  its  inmates  and  the  many  wonderful  and 
beautiful  things  it  contained  deeply  interested 
him.  Nevertheless,  the  prospect  of  being  kept 
there  a  prisoner  for  an  indefinite  time  was  any- 
thing but  pleasing  to  him. 

"  Good  Heavens,  Hal !  This  is  a  serious  busi- 
ness !  "  he  exclaimed,  anxiously.  *'  It  will  be  im- 
possible for  us  to  get  away  while  those  fellows 
are  in  camp  there.  They  will  murder  us  to  a  cer- 
tainty if  we  venture  down  !  " 

"  It's  a  bad  look-out ;  but  things  might  be 
worse.  We're  safe  enough  here,  at  any  rate," 
replied  his  friend,  who  seemed  disposed  to  accept 
the  situation  very  calmly. 

Professor  Payne,  too,  appeared  to  be  little  con- 
cerned by  the  turn  affairs  had  taken.  He  re- 
marked that  for  his  daughter's  sake  he  would  be 
glad  to  return  to  civilization  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
but  that  a  few  days'  or  weeks'  delay  was  of  no 
great  moment.  Turning  indignantly  from  the 
two  men,  Yorke  asked  Isha  what  she  thought  of 


146  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

affairs,  and  she  replied  dutifully  that  she  was  con- 
tent to  remain  at  the  monastery  so  long  as  her 
father  thought  that  there  was  nothing  else  to  be 
done.  Having  said  this,  she,  to  the  artist's  wrath 
and  amusement  combined,  glanced  towards 
Aylward,  who  was  apparently  awaiting  her  reply 
with  interest.  The  reason  for  the  resignation 
shown  by  his  friend  and  the  young  lady  at  the 
prospect  of  a  long  enforced  sojourn  at  the  mon- 
astery was  obvious  enough  to  him. 

Meanwhile  the  hegoumenos,  who  had  been 
apprised  of  the  arrival  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  had 
entered  the  courtyard  and  surrounded  by  all  the 
monks  stood  looking  down  on  the  camp.  It  was 
clear  that  they  understood  what  was  the  object 
of  the  Bedawi  in  coming,  yet  their  faces  exhibited 
no  alarm,  but  only  gentle  curiosity.  At  Yorke's 
suggestion  the  Professor  asked  Father  Polycarp 
what  he  proposed  to  do.  The  hegoumenos  replied 
that  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  or  nothing  to 
be  afraid  of,  as  the  children  of  Ishmael,  as  he 
called  the  Arabs,  could  do  them  no  harm.  He 
said  that  he  deeply  regretted  that  anything 
should  have  happened  to  prevent  the  guests  of 
the  Brotherhood  leaving  whenever  they  wished, 
but  that  they  need  be  under  no  apprehension 
they  would  be  detained  long,  as  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  their  enemies  to  stay  on  that  desolate 
valley  with  their  flocks  and  herds  for  any  length 
of  time.     If,  however,  they  did  succeed  in  finding 


Selim.  147 

pasturage  and  water,  and  did  not  depart  soon,  he 
would  find  means  to  send  the  travelers  away  in 
safety. 

"  Which  means,  I  suppose,  that  he  will,  if  nec- 
essary, show  us  some  secret  way  of  escape  that  he 
knows  of  !  "  muttered  Yorke,  not  at  all  satisfied 
by  the  promise  made. 

The  monks  remained  only  a  few  moments, 
and  then  returned  to  their  cells.  When  they 
were  gone,  the  Europeans  occupied  themselves 
in  watching  through  their  glasses  all  that  went 
on  in  the  Beni  Azeleh  camp.  Yorke  brought  out 
his  large  telescope,  and  with  it  searched  the  whole 
camp,  hoping  to  see  Ay^da,  the  sheikh's  daughter. 
He  at  length  caught  sight  of  her,  standing  in  a 
dejected  attitude  in  the  doorway  of  one  of  the 
tents  and  looking  towards  the  rock.  She  had  no 
doubt  heard  of  the  discovery  that  her  brother 
was  in  the  monastery,  and  of  his  refusal  to  return 
to  the  tribe,  and  it  was  plain  that  she  was  full  of 
sorrow  at  the  prospect  of  never  seeing  him  again. 
The  artist  watched  the  slender,  graceful  figure 
for  a  long  time,  the  glass  enabling  him  almost  to 
read  the  expression  of  her  face.  He  did  not, 
however,  point  her  out  to  the  others,  and  they 
did  not  observe  her. 

Just  before  dark,  while  Yorke  was  taking  a 
last  look  through  the  telescope,  he  caught  sight 
of  a  man  who  sneaked  out  of  one  of  the  tents 
and  gazed  up  at  the  monastery  in  a  furtive  man- 


148  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

ner  that  seemed  to  show  that  he  did  not  wish  to 
^pQ  seen  from  it.  The  artist  saw  that  he  was  not 
2tn  Arab,  but  could  not  distinguish  his  face.  He 
called  the  attention  of  Professor  Payne,  who  was 
standing  near,  to  the  man,  and  gave  him  the 
glass  to  look  at  him,  but  by  this  time  the  fellow 
had  slunk  back  into  the  tent.  The  Professor, 
after  scanning  the  camp  for  some  minutes,  re- 
marked : 

*'  Do  you  notice  that  hardly  any  men  are  to  be 
seen  ?  I  suppose  they  are  all  assembled  in  the 
sheikh's  tent  and  are  holding  a  council  of  war." 

"Their  deliberations  will  result  in  a  good  deal 
of  wasted  breath,  I  fancy  !  "  said  Yorke.  "  Un- 
less they  grow  wings  and  fly  up  to  us  we  are  safe 
enough  from  attack." 

When  the  sun  had  set  the  Beni  Azeleh  camp 
became  a  picturesque  scene.  The  lurid  glare  of 
the  bitumen-fed  fires  blended  strangely  with  the 
flood  of  silvery  moonlight  that  lay  over  the 
white  salt  plain.  The  contrast  between  the 
brilliantly  illuminated  noisy  camp  below  and  the 
moonlit  silent  monastery  above  was  very  strik- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  XL 
The  Attack  on  the  Monastery* 

That  night,  as  Aylward  and  Yorke  lay  sleep- 
ing in  their  chamber,  they  were  awakened  about 
midnight  by  the  braying  of  the  monastery  don- 
key. From  the  direction  of  the  sound,  it  was 
evident  that  the  animal  was  standing  on  top  of 
the  rock  some  fifty  feet  above  the  courtyard,  but, 
so  powerful  was  its  voice  and  so  still  the  night, 
that  the  whole  monastery  resounded  with  the 
discordant  din. 

"  Confound  that  noisy  brute !  "  growled  Ayl- 
ward, when  the  donkey  had  continued  braying 
without  cessation  for  some  minutes. 

^' A  decrepit  centenarian,  if  you  please!"  ex- 
claimed Yorke  disgustedly,  referring  to  the 
ancient  animal.  "  Why,  the  old  beast  has  ten- 
donkey-power  lungs  ! " 

*'  What  can  it  be  making  such  a  row  about  ?  " 

*'  If  it  doesn't  stop  soon  those   mummies  of 


ISO  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife^ 

?nonks  in  the  cemetery  will  be  getting  up  to  pro- 
test ! " 

The  excited  braying  of  the  old  donkey  had 
even  awakened  the  dragoman  and  the  cook,  who 
were  sleeping  in  the  cloister  before  the  door  of 
their  master's  room.  Yorke  heard  them  apostro- 
phizing the  animal. 

"  Oh,  father  of  asses !  your  voice  is  most 
ravishing,  but,  by  God,  we  have  heard  enough ! " 
grumbled  the  cook. 

"  The  long-eared  pig  must  see  a  whole  caravan 
of  devils ! "  grunted  the  dragoman,  alluding  to 
the  Eastern  belief  that  when  a  donkey  brays  it  is 
a  sign  that  the  devil  is  near. 

"  Oh,  melodious  one  !  you  have  sung  enough  ! 
Will  you  not  reserve  some  of  your  music  for  an- 
other night?"  continued  the  cook,  after  a  pause. 

"  May  the  devil  slit  the  nostrils  of  that  don- 
key ! "  added  the  dragoman,  wrathfully. 

But  all  their  expostulations  and  curses  were 
unheard  and  unheeded  by  the  strident-voiced 
offender,  who  continued  to  utter  prolonged  hys- 
terical brays  ending  in  convulsive  sobs. 

"  Something's  got  to  be  done  to  stop  that 
brute !  "  exclaimed  Yorke  at  length,  in  despera- 
tion. 

"  I  remember  reading  somewhere  that  the  way 
to  stop  a  donkey  from  braying  is  to  tie  a  stone  to 
its  tail!"  observed  Aylward. 

"  Let's  go  and  do  it  at  once!"   returned  the 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  151 

artist.  "  But,  by  Jove,  if  the  old  beast's  kick  is 
as  powerful  as  its  voice  we  shall  have  a  tough 
job  of  it !  " 

The  two  men  proceeded  to  carry  their  design 
into  execution.  Having,  with  the  cook's  assist- 
ance, procured  a  stone  of  suitable  size,  they 
tied  firmly  round  it  a  piece  of  cord  with  a  slip- 
noose  at  one  end.  They  hoped  to  take  the  don- 
key by  surprise  and  to  slip  its  tail  through  the 
noose  before  it  had  time  to  resent  the  attention 
with  its  heels.  Aylward,  carrying  the  stone  and 
followed  by  his  friend,  crossed  the  courtyard, 
and  began  to  creep  cautiously  up  the  steep  steps 
to  the  summit  of  the  rock  where  the  donkey  was 
stiir  braying  with  unabated  vigor.  On  reaching 
the  top  of  the  steps,  Aylward  saw  at  once  that 
the  animal  was  alarmed  at  something  it  saw  or 
heard.  It  stood  facing  the  cemetery  with  its 
nose  stuck  ^ut  and  its  tail  stiff  out  behind.  With 
long  ears  cocked,  and  huge  lips  drawn  back  over 
its  teeth,  it  was  giving  vent  to  bray  after  bray. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  the  matter  with  the 
brute  ? "  ejaculated  Aylward,  under  his  breath. 
At  that  moment  his  companion  clutched  his  arm 
quickly  and  pointed  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
old  donkey  was  looking.  Just  visible  over  the 
ledge  of  rock,  beyond  which  lay  the  mummified 
monks,  were  the  plumed  heads  of  two  or  three 
long  Arab  lances  with  the  moonlight  glinting  on 
their  polished  points.     For   a   few   seconds,  the 


152  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

two  men  gazed  at  this  amazing  sight  in  silence, 
and  then  the  same  conviction  flashed  into  the 
minds  of  both. 

"  Great  Caesar!  the  Beni  Azaleh  are  upon  us!" 
exclaimed  Yorke,  in  an  intense  whisper.  "  That 
infernal  blackguard  of  a  monk  who  was  expelled 
from  the  monastery  last  night  must  have  betrayed 
to  them  the  secret  way  up  the  rock !  " 

Their  suspicions  were  verified  a  moment  later. 
A  head  appeared  over  the  edge  of  the  rock  and 
gazed  a  few  moments  at  the  defiant  donkey. 
The  indignant  Englishmen  recognized  at  a  glance 
the  dark,  mean  face  on  which  the  moonlight  had 
deepened  the  malevolent  yet  cringing  sneaking 
expression  which  seemed  habitual  to  it. 

"  The  scoundrel  himself !  "  whispered  Yorke, 
excitedly. 

"  Let's  go  down  and  warn  the  monks.  Per- 
haps they  will  know  of  some  way  of  circumvent- 
ing the  villains,"  suggested  Aylward,  in  a  low 
voice. 

**  Or  shall  we  make  a  rush  and  secure  while  we 
can,  the   entrance   to   the   secret   way,  which    is, 
probably  narrow  and  easily  guarded  ?  " 

"Too  late,  I'm  afraid.  Several  of  them  have 
already  got  to  the  top,  and  there  may  be  a  score 
of  them,  all  armed,  crouching  behind  that  rock. 
We  had  better  go  down  and  get  out  our  guns  and 
revolvers  as  soon  as  we  can." 

Fortunately  the  Beni  Azaleh  had  not  seen  or 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery^  153 

heard  them,  their  attention  being  diverted  by  the 
braying  donkey.  Hastily,  but  noiselessly,  the 
two  men  descended  the  steps  to  the  courtyard. 
As  they  went  down,  Yorke  whispered  to  his  com- 
panion his  surprise  that  none  of  the  monks  had 
been  disturbed  by  the  braying  of  the  donkey,  or 
had  come  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  such  unusual 
behavior  on  its  part,  but,  at  that  moment,  they 
heard  the  distant  sound  of  singing  in  the  church, 
and  concluded  that  even  the  donkey's  stentorian 
voice  was  inaudible  in  the  cave-like  sanctuary 
where  the  monks  were  at  prayers. 

Having  roused  the  dragoman  and  the  cook, 
who,  on  learning  the  news  were  seized  with  panic 
and  loudly  expressed  their  fears,  Aylward  as- 
cended to  Professor  Payne's  room  in  the  main 
building  of  the  monastery,  and  awoke  him.  The 
old  savant,  who  showed  no  alarm  and  little  con- 
cern, on  hearing  what  the  young  man  had  to 
tell  him,  went  to  the  door  of  his  daughter's 
chamber,  and  called  to  her  in  a  low  voice  to  get 
up.  "  Yes^  father,"  she  replied  quietly  from 
within  ;  but  forbore  to  ask  any  question,  though 
she  realized  at  once  that  something  serious  must 
have  happened. 

Meanwhile,  Yorke  hurried  to  the  church,  and 
unceremoniously  interrupting  the  service,  in- 
formed the  hegoumenos  in  Arabic,  that  the  Beni 
Azaleh  had  by  some  means  ascended  the  rock, 
and   would   probably  attack  the  monastery  in  a 


(■[THI7SIlSITr\ 


154  The  Finding  of  Lofs  Wife. 

few  minutes.  Father  Polycarp  received  the  ter- 
rible news  with  marvelous  composure.  Turning 
to  the  monks,  he  said  a  few  words  in  Greek  with 
calm  face  and  tranquil  voice.  One  of  them,  on 
hearing  his  superior's  announcement,  murmured 
audibly  the  words  of  the  Psalmist.  "  O  God  ! 
the  heathen  are  come  into  Thy  inheritance. 
Help  us,  O  God  of  our  salvation,  for  the  glory  of 
Thy  name!"  but  most  of  the- others  merely 
clasped  their  hands  and  gave  no  other  sign  of 
agitation. 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do,  good  friend  ?  " 
asked  the  hegoumenos  of  Yorke. 

"  Fight,"  returned  the  artist,  laconically. 

At  this  moment.  Brother  Manon,  the  new  monk 
who  had  arrived  at  the  monastery  that  morning, 
stepped  forward  and  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the 
hegoumenos. 

"  Father  !  "  he  cried  in  a  deep  voice,  '*  I  have 
not  yet  taken  on  me  the  vows,  the  oil  of  conse- 
cration has  not  yet  been  poured  on  my  head.  In 
my  youth,  ere  God  ca-l-led  me,  I  was  a  man  of 
war.  Suffer  me,  I  pray  you,  to  fight  the  Lord's 
battle,  and  to  help  our  friends  to  drive  the 
heathen  out  of  His  sanctuary," 

"  Go,  my  son,"  returned  Father  Polycarp,  after 
a  moment's  hesitation.  *'  May  God  strengthen 
your  arm,  if  it  be  needful  for  you  to  strike  in  de- 
fence of  His  holy  place  and  servants.  We  will 
meanwhile,  betake  ourselves   to   prayer,    in   the 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  i55 

hope  that  He  will,  in  His  mercy,  deliver  us  from 
our  enemies  without  bloodshed." 

*'  Come,  O  friend,  there  is  not  a  moment  to 
lose ! "  exclaimed  Yorke,  addressing  Brother 
Manon,  who,  having  made  a  deep  reverence  to 
the  altar,  and  having  crossed  himself,  followed 
the  artist  out  of  the  church.  The  monk  was  evi- 
dently a  man  of  action,  for  as  he  went  he  tucked 
up  his  robe,  and  bared  his  brawny  arms.  When 
the  two  men  arrived  in  the  courtyard  they  found 
there  Aylward,  Professor  Payne  and  Isha.  The 
old  savant  had  thought  it  necessary  to  rouse  his 
daughter  and  warn  her  of  the  danger  that 
threatened  them  ;  but  had  begged  her  to  stay  in 
her  chamber.  She  had,  however,  entreated  him 
to  allow  her  to  be  with  him  and  their  two  friends, 
and  the  old  man  had  felt  powerless  to  refuse  her 
request. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  Mr.  Aylward,  I  shall  not  be 
in  the  way  and  may  be  of  use  in  loading  the 
guns,  if  you  are  going  to  fight,"  she  was  saying 
when  Yorke  and  the  monk  came  up.  The  artist 
also  tried  to  persuade  her  to  return  to  her  room, 
but  the  girl  seemed  determined  not  to  leave  her 
father's  side  under  any  circumstances.  At 
length  the  three  men  gave  up  urging  her  to  go 
and  began  their  preparations  for  repelling  the 
momentarily  expected  attack. 

''Where  are  Georgis  and  Hanna,  Hal?"  asked 
Yorke,  looking  round. 


156  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

"  They  have  hidden  themselves,  I  fancy.  Best 
thing  they  could  do, — they  would  both  be  per- 
fectly useless." 

The  dragoman  and  cook,  quaking  and  perspir- 
ing with  fear,  were  at  that  moment  perched  on 
the  beams  in  the  roof  of  their  master's  chamber, 
the  only  hiding-place  they  could  think  of  in  their 
perturbation. 

Aylward  had  brought  out  all  the  fire-arms  they 
had,  which  consisted  of  a  rifle,  a  double-barreled 
shot-gun,  and  a  couple  of  revolvers.  Professor 
Payne  was  not  able  to  contribute  any  weapon  for 
the  defence,  as  the  most  lethal  instrument  he  pos- 
sessed was  a  pen-knife.  He  remarked  that  in  all 
his  wanderings  in  wild  countries  he  had  never 
before  been  called  upon  to  defend  himself  from 
armed  enemies,  though  he  had  many  times  stood 
in  danger  of  rough  treatment  and  robbery. 

While  Aylward  and  Yorke  were  rapidly  but 
carefully  loading  their  guns  and  revolvers,  they 
discussed  the  best  method  of  meeting  the  rush 
that  the  Beni  Azeleh  would  no  doubt  make  in  a 
few  minutes.  To  reach  the  monastery,  the 
enemy  would  have  to  descend  the  steep  steps 
from  the  summit  of  the  rock  to  the  courtyard, 
and  it  seemed  obvious  that  if  they  could  be  pre- 
vented from  making  use  of  the  stairway  the  mon- 
astery would  be  safe.  Yorke  proposed  that  they 
should  destroy  the  bridge  that  spanned  the  deep 
crevice  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  but  on  examining 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  157 

it,  they  found  that  it  would  be  the  work  of  hours 
to  break  it  down.  They  therefore  contented 
themselves  blocking  it  by  a  heavy  table  which 
they  brought  out  of  the  refectory  and  laid  on  its 
side  across  the  foot-way. 

Aylward  armed  with  the  shot-gun  and  one  of 
the  revolvers,  climbed  the  wall  over  the  entrance 
to  the  courtyard,  and  sitting  outside  of  it,  in  the 
deep  shadow  of  an  over-hanging  olive-tree, 
waited  for  the  coming  of  the  Beni  Azaleh.  He 
grasped  his  gun  ready  for  action,  with  the  ham- 
mer at  full  cock,  while  his  revolver  lay  on  the 
wall  before  him.  Isha  stood  below  him,  holding 
his  powder-flask,  shot-pouch  and  caps,  which  duty 
she  had  insisted  on  undertaking  in  spite  of  the 
renewed  protests  of  her  companions.  Yorke  took 
up  his  position  on  the  roof  of  the  cloister  armed 
with  the  rifle  and  the  other  revolver.  Professor 
Payne  stood  within  reach  ready  to  supply  him 
with  ammunition.  The  weapons  of  the  two  Eng- 
lishmen commanded  the  steps  descending  the 
rock,  down  which  no  one  could  come  without  be- 
ing exposed  to  a  cross-fire  from  them.  Brother 
Manon,  on  being  informed  by  Yorke  from  what 
corner  the  attack  was  expected,  placed  himself  in 
the  most  perilous  position.  Grasping  in  his 
sinewy  hands  the  heavy  wooden  mallet  of  the 
semandron  he  waited  in  the  shadow  of  the  arch 
in  the  courtyard  wall  ready  to  rush  out  to  the 
defence  of  the  bridge,  should  the  Arabs  succeed 


158  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

in  descending  the  rock  in  the  face  of  his  com- 
rades' fire. 

Meanwhile,  the  ancient  donkey  had  not  ceased 
to  bray ;  but  no  other  sound  broke  the  stillness. 
The  defenders  of  the  monastery  awaited  in  silence 
the  rush  of  the  enemy,  who,  on  their  part,  neither 
uttered  any  sound  nor  showed  themselves.  The 
singing  of  the  monks  in  the  church  had  ceased, 
and  the  camp  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  in  the  plain  be- 
low lay  dark  and  noiseless.  Suddenly  the  don- 
key began  to  bray  with  redoubled  vigor,  but  a 
few  moments  later,  it  uttered  a  sort  of  scream 
and  then  became  silent. 

'*  They've  speared  the  poor  beast,  Hal ! "  ex- 
claimed Yorke,  in  a  loud  whisper. 

"  They  will  be  down  in  a  minute — look  out !  '* 
responded  his  friend  in  the  same  tone. 

"  If  you  see  that  scoundrel  of  a  monk  give  him 
both  barrels,  Hal." 

He  had  scarcely  spoken,  when  a  crowd  of 
armed  Arabs  appeared  at  the  edge  of  the  rock 
above  them.  There  were  about  forty  of  them, 
and  the  moonlight  revealed  that  they  were 
all  armed  with  lances,  swords,  knives  and  clubs. 
Two  or  three  of  the  leaders  whispered  together, 
and  then  led  the  way  down  the  steps  cut  in  the 
face  of  the  rock.  The  party  crept  down  silently, 
one  by  one,  taking  care  not  to  make  any  noise 
with  their  weapons,  their  object  obviously  being 
to    take   the  monastery  by  surprise.     They  evi- 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery^  159 

dently  had  no  suspicion  that  they  had  been  seen, 
or  that  preparations  had  been  made  for  their  re- 
ception. The  foremost  man,  whom  the  moon- 
light showed  to  be  El  Jezzar,  had  got  half-way 
down  the  steps  when  Yorke  demanded  loudly 
in  Arabic  what  they  wanted.  There  was  a  mo- 
ment of  surprise  and  hesitation  on  the  part  of 
the  attacking  party,  and  then  El  Jezzar,  shouting 
to  his  men  to  follow,  was  about  to  spring  down 
the  remaining  steps  when  Aylward  and  Yorke 
fired  simultaneously.  The  bullet  from  the  latter's 
rifle  missed  El  Jezzar;  but  apparently  struck  the 
man  behind  him,  for  he  uttered  a  loud  cry  and 
staggered  as  if  about  to  fall  into  the  deep  crevice 
below  him.  The  shot  from  Aylward's  gun  raked 
the  whole  line  of  men  behind,  who  yelled  with 
pain  and  dismay.  El  Jezzar,  who  had  reached 
the  bottom  of  the  steps,  shouted  to  them  furi- 
ously to  come  on ;  but  a  second  charge  of  shot 
from  Aylward's  left-hand  barrel  completed  their 
discomfiture,  and  they  turned  and  fled  up  to 
the  top  of  the  rock,  slipping  and  stumbling  so 
much  that  it  was  a  marvel  none  of  them  fell 
over  the  precipice.  El  Jezzar,  finding  himself 
deserted  by  his  followers,  and  that  he  was 
exposed  to  fire,  also  retreated,  bounding  up 
the  stone  steps  like  a  wild  goat.  Yorke  fired 
two  barrels  of  his  revolver  after  him,  but  without 
hitting  him. 

"Have  you  driven  them  back,  Mr.  Aylward?" 


i6o  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

whispered  Isha,  looking  up  at  him.  She  spoke 
calmly,  but  her  face  was  very  pale. 

"Yes,  for  the  time.  Miss  Payne  ;  but  they  will 
be  down  again  soon,  I  think.  Give  me  the 
powder-flask,  please,  quick  !  " 

It  was  soon  apparent,  however,  that  the  warm 
reception  they  had  received  had  demoralized  the 
Beni  Azaleh,  and  that  they  had  no  desire  to  face 
again  the  fire-arms  of  the  defenders  of  the  mon- 
astery. While  Aylward  and  Yorke  were  reload- 
ing their  weapons,  assisted  by  the  Professor  and 
his  daughter,  the  enemy  remained  invisible  and 
perfectly  quiet. 

**  Do  you  think  they  will  attack  us  again,  O 
friend  !  "  cried  Yorke  in  Arabic  to  Brother  Manon, 
who  stood  in  the  archway  grasping  his  improvised 
club  with  a  look  of  grim  satisfaction  on  his  face. 

"  If  they  are  men  they  will,"  returned  the  stal- 
wart monk.  "  Did  you  kill  any  of  them  with  your 
guns,  my  lord?  I  could  not  see  what  happened." 

"  One  of  them  received  a  bullet  from  me  ;  but 
he  did  not  fall.  I  do  not  think  my  friend  slew 
any  of  them,  though  he  must  have  wounded 
many  with  shot,"  replied  the  artist. 

At  that  moment,  Aylward,  having  loaded  his 
gun,  glanced  up  to  see  if  any  of  the  enemy  were 
showing  themselves,  and  caught  sight  of  a  long 
brightly-polished  gun  barrel  hanging  over  the 
edge  of  the  rock  above.  It  was  pointed  down 
into  the  courtyard,  and  there  was  an  Arab  lying 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  i6i 

behind  it  taking  aim,  his  head  and  shoulders  only 
being  visible.  Before  the  young  man  could 
shout  a  warning  to  his  friend,  El  Jezzar,  for  it 
was  he  who  held  the  gun,  had  fired.  Yorke,  who 
had  just  seated  himself  again  on  the  tiles  of  the 
cloister-roof  after  reloading  his  rifle,  fell  forward 
at  the  shot  and  rolled  off  into  the  courtyard. 
Professor  Payne  tried  to  catch  him  in  his  arms, 
and  succeeded  in  partly  breaking  his  fall. 

As  El  Jezzar  rose  on  his  hands  after  firing, 
Aylward  raised  his  gun,  and  the  next  moment  the 
Arab's  arm  was  shattered  at  the  elbow,  and  his 
gun  fell  out  of  his  hand  on  to  the  roof  of  the 
cloister.  Springing  off  the  wall,  Aylward  ran  to 
his  friend's  assistance  followed  by  Isha. 

"  Noel !  Noel !  are  you  hurt  ?  "  he  cried  anx- 
iously, seeing  the  artist  did  not  attempt  to  get 
up. 

"  Got  a  beastly  chewed  Arab  bullet  through 
my  leg,  I  believe,  Hal,"  replied  Yorke,  cheerfully. 
"  Lucky  I  did  not  get  it  through  the  top  of  my 
head.  But  don't  mind  me — go  and  guard  the 
bridge  !  " 

Aylward  would  not  leave  him,  however,  till 
he  had  ascertained  how  he  was  wounded.  He 
and  the  Professor  carried  him  under  one  of  the 
trees  and  on  examination,  found  that  El  Jezzar's 
bullet  had  passed  through  the  artist's  leg  an 
inch  or  two  above  the  knee  but  without  breaking 
the  bone.     The  wounded  man  protested  that  he 


1 62  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

was  but  slightly  hurt  and  urged  his  friend  to  go 
back  to  his  post.  This  Aylward  at  length  re- 
luctantly did,  followed  by  Isha,  leaving  Professor 
Payne  to  bind  up  the  artist's  wound. 

Half  an  hour  passed,  and  as  nothing  was  seen 
or  heard  of  the  enemy,  Aylward  began  to  hope 
that  the  Beni  Azaleh,  dismayed  at  the  hot  re- 
ception they  had  met  with  and  the  bullet  and 
shot  wounds  many  of  them  had  received,  had 
given  up  the  attack,  and  had  retreated  by  the 
secret  path.  But  the  reason  for  their  apparent 
inaction  was  at  length  revealed.  Some  twenty 
men  suddenly  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the  rock 
above,  and  the  next  moment  a  hail  of  heavy  stones 
descended  into  the  courtyard,  tearing  through 
the  tree-tops  and  crashing  through  the  roof-tiles. 
The  Beni  Azaleh  had  taken  a  large  number  of 
stones  from  the  wall  round  the  monks'  garden, 
and  half  of  them  were  bombarding  the  defenders 
of  the  monastery,  while  the  rest  again  essayed 
the  descent  of  the  stairway  to  the  courtyard. 
Aylward  fired  both  barrels  at  the  shouting 
Arabs  above  him,  and  then  springing  off  the  wall, 
darted  under  the  archway  for  shelter,  calling  on 
Isha  to  follow  him.  Had  any  of  the  stones 
struck  them,  death  or  mutilation  would  have 
been  the  instant  result,  but  they  reached  the 
arch  in  safety.  Brother  Manon  was  standing 
there,  swinging  his  mallet. 

"  Is  your  friend  badly  wounded,  my  lord?"  he 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  163 

asked  quietly  in  Arabic,  referring  to  Yorke. 
Aylward  not  understanding  him,  shook  his  head, 
and  was  about  to  ask  Isha  what  he  had  said, 
when  the  monk,  glancing  towards  the  bridge, 
said  quickly, — 

"  My  lord — they  come  !  " 

A  score  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  under  cover  of 
their  comrades'  stone-bombardment,  were  again 
descending  the  rock.  They  came  springing 
down  the  steps,  flourishing  their  weapons  and 
yelling  like  demons.  Aylward's  gun  was  empty, 
but  he  had  his  revolver,  and  he  rapidly  emptied 
all  five  chambers  at  the  enemy,  hoping  to  check 
the  rush.  None  of  the  bullets  apparently  took 
effect,  for  the  Arabs  did  not  stop,  but  springing 
on  the  bridge,  began  to  clamber  over  the  table 
that  had  been  laid  across  it  to  bar  the  way.  As 
the  first  man,  khanjar  in  hand,  leaped  into  the 
archway.  Brother  Manon's  mallet  descended,  and 
the  fellow  fell  with  a  broken  shoulder.  Shout- 
ing "  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit ! "  the  monk  swung  up  his  for- 
midable weapon,  and  dashed  into  the  midst  of 
his  foes.  A  couple  of  them  went  down  before 
him,  but  in  striking  a  third  blow  he  missed  the 
man  he  aimed  at,  and  the  mallet  alighting  on  a 
bridge-post,  its  helve  was  shivered  in  his  grasp. 
In  another  moment  half  a  dozen  men  had  sprung 
on  him  and  borne  him  to  the  ground. 

Aylward,  meanwhile,  standing  in  front  of  Isha, 


1 64  The  Findingf  of  Lot^s  "Wife* 

was  fighting  desperately.  He  struck  down  with 
his  clubbed  gun  the  first  man  who  approached 
him,  breaking  off  the  stock  with  the  force  of  the 
blow.  He  continued  to  keep  off  his  assailants 
for  a  short  time  with  the  gunbarrels,  but  very 
soon  both  he  and  Isha  were  thrown  down  and 
pinioned.  Thinking  that  they  were  about  to 
cut  his  throat,  he  struggled  furiously  ;  but  pres- 
ently, feeling  that  his  hands  and  feet  were  being 
tied  with  ropes,  he  ceased  to  resist,  for  he 
realized  that  they  would  not  take  the  trouble  to 
secure  him  if  they  intended  to  murder  him  at 
once. 

Having  pinioned  Aylward,  Isha,  and  Brother 
Manon,  the  Beni  Azaleh  dashed  into  the  court- 
yard, and  were  met  by  a  volley  from  Yorke,  who 
sat  under  the  tree  with  Professor  Payne  behind 
him.  The  artist  fired  his  rifle  at  the  leading  man, 
but  missed  him  in  the  uncertain  light.  He  then 
snatched  up  his  revolver,  and  had  fired  two  shots 
from  it  when  the  Arabs  rushed  on  him  in  a 
body,  wrenched  the  weapon  from  his  grasp,  and 
roughly  bound  his  hands  and  feet.  The  Pro- 
fessor was  thrown  down  and  secured  in  the  same 
way. 

At  this  moment  a  cry  was  heard,  and  Selim, 
the  Arab  boy  whose  flight  to  the  monastery  had 
brought  about  the  attack  on  it,  ran  into  the  court- 
yard, his  white  robe  glistening  in  the  moonlight. 

**  Do    not   kill  the    Englishmen !      Oh,    spare 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery^  165 

them,  brothers,  spare  them ! "  he  cried,  in  an 
agonized  voice. 

One  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  the  leader  in  the 
second  assault,  a  fierce-eyed  grey-beard,  down 
whose  swarthy  face  blood  was  trickling,  stepped 
forward  and  seized  the  boy  by  the  arm. 

"  Do  you,  whose  wickedness  has  caused  the 
blood  of  so  many  of  your  kin  to  flow,  plead  for 
the  lives  of  these  Franks,  O  traitor  to  your  faith 
and  tribe?"  he  exclaimed,  wrathfully.  "Are 
you  not  ashamed  to  wear  women's  garments, 
O  unworthy  son  of  your  father?"  he  added, 
contemptuously  glancing  at  the  boy's  white  robe, 
which  somewhat  resembled  in  shape  an  Arab  girl's 
dress. 

Selim,  seeing  that  the  Europeans  lay  bound  on 
the  ground,  and  that  his  tribesmen  had  no  im- 
mediate intention  of  murdering  them,  remained 
silent. 

"  Do  you,  Ali,  and  you,  Yusef,  take  this  young 
infidel  whelp  to  El  Jezzar,"  said  the  old  Arab  to 
two  young  men  among  those  crowding  round. 
"  By  God,  O  boy,  you  will  have  to  answer  to 
him  for  his  broken  arm.  Expect  no  sweet  words 
from  him !  " 

The  two  young  men,  grasping  the  boy's  arm 
roughly,  led  him  away.  He  did  not  resist  or 
protest,  and  betrayed  no  fear  at  the  prospect  of 
meeting  his  wounded  cousin,  but  the  expression 
on  his   face  showed  that  he  was  wondering  why 


1 66  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife^ 

he  was  to  be  taken  to  El  Jezzar,  and  not  before 
his  father,  the  sheikh. 

"  Leave  the  Franks  lying  there,  brothers,  and 
follow  me  to  the  church.  We  shall  find  the 
monks  there,  and  will  teach  them  not  to  steal 
boys  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  again !  "  cried  the  old 
grey-beard. 

Flourishing  their  weapons,  the  Arabs  rushed 
off,  after  taking  possession  of  the  guns  and  re- 
volvers that  Aylward  and  York  had  used  with 
such  effect  against  them.  Three  or  four  young 
men  were  left  to  guard  the  prisoners.  Yorke  and 
Professor  Payne,  who  saw  that  it  was  the  inten- 
tion of  the  Beni  Azaleh  to  murder  all  the  monks, 
listened  with  beating  hearts  for  the  sounds  an- 
nouncing the  commencment  of  the  massacre. 
But  several  minutes  passed,  and  all  they  could 
hear  were  the  yells  of  the  Arabs,  who  were  hunt- 
ing for  their  intended  victims.  The  would-be 
murderers  searched  the  church,  the  library,  the 
refectory,  the  cells,  and  every  other  part  of  the 
monastery,  but  without  finding  any  trace  of  the 
monks.  They  trooped  back  in  about  half  an 
hour,  and  their  fierce  faces  and  angry  voices 
showed  how  furious  they  were  at  being  balked 
of  their  vengeance. 

"The  monks  have  doubtless  betaken  them- 
selves to  some  hiding-place,"  whispered  the  Pro- 
fessor to  Yorke  as  the  Arabs  returned  from  their 
fruitless  search. 


The  Attack  on  the  Monastery*  167 

"  It's  a  good  thing  for  them  that  they  have 
such  a  plaee  to  retreat  to.  These  fellows  will 
cut  the  throat  of  every  mother's  son  of  them  if 
they  find  them,"  returned  the  artist  faintly,  his 
face  contorted  with  the  pain  of  his  wound,  which 
began  to  be  severe,  owing  to  the  way  his  legs 
were  tied. 

The  Beni  Azaleh  discussed  noisily  what  was  to 
be  done  with  their  prisoners.  Yorke  and  the 
Professor  could  hear  all  they  said,  and  were  re- 
lieved to  find  that  they  did  not  seem  to  harbor 
any  resentment  against  them  on  account  of  the 
desperate  resistance  they  had  made,  and  which 
had  cost  them  so  much.  No  proposal  was  made 
to  kill  them  or  to  maltreat  them.  At  length  all 
four  men  and  Isha,  bound  hand  and  foot  as  they 
were,  were  carried  by  the  Arabs  one  by  one  to 
the  chamber  which  Aylward  and  Yorke  had  occu- 
pied, and  were  laid  on  the  floor.  The  door  was 
then  closed  and  bolted  from  outside. 


CHAPTER  Xn* 
A  Youngf  Martyr* 

The  chamber  into  which  the  Beni  Azaleh  had 
thrust  their  captives  was  very  dark.  No  lamp 
was  burning  in  it  and  the  only  light  it  had  was 
the  faint  moonshine  which  struggled  in  at  a 
narrow  window  shadowed  by  the  cloister  roof. 
The  prisoners  lay  still  for  a  minute  or  more  after 
the  door  had  been  shut  on  them  without  ex- 
changing a  word.  Suddenly  a  husky,  tremulous 
voice  was  heard  in  the  darkness  proceeding 
apparently  from  somewhere  above  them. 

"  Mr.  Ilwud  ! — Mr.  Yok !  "  said  the  voice, 
which  both  men  named  recognized  at  once. 

"  Is  that  you,  Georgis  ?  "  asked  Aylward,  in  a 
whisper. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Ilwud." 

"  Where  are  you  ?  " 

"  Hiding  on  the  roof,  Mr.  Ilwud.*' 

"  Where's  Hanna  ?  " 


A  Youngf  Martyn  169 

"  He  here  also." 

"  For  goodness'  sake,  get  down,  man,  and  untie 
these  ropes  !  "  groaned  Yorke,  who  was  suffering 
intense  pain. 

"  The  Arabs  all  gone  way,  Mr.  Yok  ?  " 

"They're  on  watch  outside,  so  don't  make  a 
row  ;  drop  down  quietly  !  "  replied  Aylward. 

With  many  qualms  of  fear  and  suppressed 
groans  and  grunts  the  fat  dragoman  did  as  he 
was  ordered,  but,  in  dropping  from  the  beam, 
he  came  to  the  floor  with  such  a  thump,  and 
uttered  so  loud  an  ejaculation  of  fright  that  all 
present  expected  the  door  to  open  and  their  cap- 
tors to  appear,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the 
noise.  Luckily  it  passed  unnoticed,  and  the 
dragoman  picked  himself  up  and  rubbed  his 
bruised  person  tenderly.  The  cook  followed  him 
more  circumspectly,  and  the  two  then  began  to 
fumble  in  the  dark  for  the  knots  of  the  ropes  with 
which  their  masters  were  bound,  and  untied  them. 
Aylward  then  freed  Professor  Payne,  who  un- 
bound the  ropes  with  which  his  daughter's  hands 
and  feet  had  been  lashed.  The  hard  camel-ropes, 
which  the  Beni  Azeleh  had  brought  up  with 
them  for  the  purpose  of  binding  their  prisoners, 
had  bruised  the  girl's  slender  wrists  badly,  but 
she  had  made  no  complaint.  Brother  Manon 
was  the  last  to  be  set  free. 

The  first  thing  done  was  to  attend  to  Yorke's 
wound.     They  were  afraid  at   first  to  light    the 


170  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

oil-lamp  in  the  room,  lest  the  guard  outside 
should  see  it,  but  at  Isha's  suggestion,  Aylward 
held  his  coat  against  the  window,  and  the  drag- 
oman struck  a  match  and  lit  the  floating  wick. 
By  this  feeble  light  the  professor  washed  and 
bound  up  the  artist's  wound,  who  bore  the  pain 
in  stoical  silence.  When  this  was  finished  the 
lamp  was  put  out  for  fear  of  discovery,  and 
the  whole  party  sat  in  darkness,  whispering  to- 
gether. 

For  several  hours  the  sound  of  voices  and  the 
smell  of  smoke  came  from  the  courtyard,  the 
Beni  Azeleh  having  evidently  camped  for  the 
night  under  the  olive-trees.  The  prisoners  could 
hear  the  movements  of  their  guards  in  the 
cloister  outside,  also  their  talk,  though  they 
could  understand  little  of  what  they  said,  owing 
to  the  thickness  of  the  walls  and  door.  About 
an  hour  before  dawn  all  noises  outside  ceased, 
the  Arabs  having  apparently  gone  to  sleep. 
Aylward  proposed  that  they  should  try  to  open 
the  door,  and,  if  successful,  to  creep  out,  collect 
the  weapons  of  their  sleeping  enemies,  and,  after 
arming  themselves,  to  throw  the  rest  over  the 
precipice.  A  little  discussion,  however,  showed 
how  slender  was  the  chance  of  such  a  desperate 
undertaking  being  successful,  and  the  idea  was 
abandoned. 

"  Think  you,  O  friend,  that  the  Bedawi  will 
find    your   brethren?"    asked    Professor    Payne, 


A  Youngf  Martyn  171 

touching  Brother  Manon,  who  was  sitting 
silently  beside  him  in  the  dark. 

"  No,  my  lord  !  God  will  protect  His  servants 
from  their  enemies ! "  replied  the  monk  confi- 
dently, in  his  deep  musical  voice.  "  Father  Poly- 
carp  showed  me  our  hiding-place  after  even-song 
yesterday.  It  is  a  cave  for  which  one  might 
search  for  days  without  finding  it.  The  brethren 
have  food  and  water,  and  will  continue  to  wor- 
ship God  day  and  night  where  they  are  till  their 
enemies  grow  weary  of  looking  for  them  and 
go  away." 

"  I  trust  that  the  jewels,  relics  and  pictures 
have  not  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Bedawin." 

"  Fear  not,  my  lord  ;  the  first  care  of  the 
brethren  was,  doubtless,  to  remove  the  holy  things 
to  some  secret  place,  where  they  will  be  safe  from 
the  heathen." 

**  What  think  you,  O  friend,  will  happen  to 
us?" 

"  I  cannot  say,  my  lord.  It  may  be  that  they 
will  murder  us  all  in  order  that  there  may  remain 
no  witnesses  of  their  unlawful  deeds.  As  for  my- 
self, if  they  find  that  I  am  of  the  Brotherhood, 
they  will  kill  me  without  doubt,"  returned  the 
monk,  grimly. 

*'  We  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Merciful  One !  " 
sighed  the  Professor.  "  All  we  can  do  now  is  to 
await  with  such  calmness  as  we  can  command, 
the  fate  He  has  decreed  for  us." 


172  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  I  have  something  to  propose,  my  lord." 

"What  is  it,  O  friend?" 

"  Let  us  make  a  hole  in  the  roof,  and  I  will  es- 
cape through  it ;  descend  the  rock  by  the  secret 
way  by  which  our  enemies  came  up  ;  make  my 
way  through  the  mountains  to  the  Holy  City, 
and  report  what  has  happened  to  the  consul,  who 
will  doubtless  take  steps  at  once  to  send  help." 

Professor  Payne  shook  his  head  doubtfully, 
and  then  told  Aylward  and  Yorke  of  the  propo- 
sal the  monk  had  made. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  from  experience,  exactly  what 
will  happen,  should  our  good  friend  succeed  in 
reaching  Jerusalem  safely  on  his  errand,"  he  ob- 
served. *'  The  consul,  on  hearing  of  our  plight, 
will  at  once  insist  on  the  Pasha  sending  troops  to 
our  assistance.  That  worthy  will  promise  to  do 
all  in  his  power,  but  will  do  practically  nothing. 
He  will  send  out  a  troop  of  his  ragamuffins,  who 
will  not  attempt  to  come  here,  but  will  gallop 
about  the  country  firing  off  pistols  into  the  air, 
and  living  at  free  quarters.  A  descent  will  per- 
haps be  made  on  some  small  Arab  tribe  who 
have  made  themselves  obnoxious  to  the  Turks  ; 
one  or  two  of  them  will  be  declared  to  be  our  mur- 
derers, and  will  be  hanged  to  please  the  consul, 
and  the  rest  will  be  mad-e  to  *  eat  stick  '  ad  libitum 
— and  there  will  be  an  end  of  the  business." 

"  I  daresay  you  are  right.  Professor,"  said  Ayl- 
ward ;  "  but   it   must   be   remembered    that  this 


A  Youngf  Martyr*  173 

brave  fellow  is  certain  to  be  murdered  in  the 
morning,  as  soon  as  the  Beni  Azaleh  discover 
that  he  is  a  monk,  and  if  he  is  willing  to  make 
the  attempt  he  proposes,  I  think  he  should  be 
allowed  to  do  so  in  his  own  interests,  as  well  as 
in  ours  and  his  fellow-monks.  Even  if  no  real 
effort  is  made  by  the  authorities  to  rescue  us,  at 
least  our  friends  will  get  news  of  us." 

"  If  the  Beni  Azaleh  find  that  a  messenger  has 
been  despatched  to  Jerusalem  to  ask  for  assist- 
ance, I  fancy  they  will  be  afraid  to  maltreat  us," 
observed  Yorke,  in  a  faint  voice. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  they  may  take  all  our  lives 
at  once,  and  retreat  to  the  desert,  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  Turkish  troops,"  added  the  professor, 
dryly. 

The  dragoman,  on  being  consulted,  agreed 
with  Professor  Payne  that  there  was  very  little 
likelihood  of  the  Pasha  taking  any  active  steps  to 
send  them  help,  however  much  he  might  be 
urged  by  the  consul.  After  some  further  discus- 
sion it  was  decided  that  the  monk  should  be 
allowed  to  do  as  he  had  suggested.  On  being 
informed  by  the  Professor,  in  grateful  terms, 
that  his  offer  was  accepted  by  his  fellow-pris- 
oners. Brother  Manon  rose  at  once,  and  said  he 
was  ready  to  start.  Aylward,  being  the  strong- 
est man  present,  leaned  up  against  the  wall,  and 
the  monk  springing  on  his  shoulders,  grasped  a 
beam  in  the  roof  above,  and  swung  himself  up  on 


174  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

to  it.  He  then  carefully  and  noiselessly  removed 
some  of  the  tiles,  and  forced  apart  the' roof  tim- 
ber, till  he  had  made  a  small  hole,  through 
which  he  squeezed  himself.  Before  he  disap- 
peared he  looked  down  into  the  dark  chamber, 
and  whispered,  "  God  be  with  you  all,  O  brothers 
in  affliction ! "  And  the  Professor  and  the 
dragoman  responded  in  low  tones,  ''  May  He  go 
with  you,  O  friend!"  "Allah  protect  you, 
brother ! "  The  imprisoned  party  heard  the 
monk  creeping  slowly  and  cautiously  over  the 
tiles,  and  listened  with  beating  hearts,  fearing 
every  moment  to  hear  the  shout  of  the  Arabs  on 
catching  sight  of  the  escaping  man.  But  several 
minutes  passed,  and  no  alarm  was  raised. 
Brother  Manon  had  evidently  succeeded  in  pass- 
ing through  their  sleeping  enemies  unseen. 

About  an  hour  after  the  monk's  escape,  the 
day  began  to  dawn.  Soon  after  sunrise  the  door 
of  the  chamber  in  which  the  prisoners  were  con- 
fined was  opened,  and  half  a  dozen  armed  men 
came  in.  They  looked  surprised  as  they  glanced 
round  and  saw  that  their  captives  had  freed 
themselves  from  the  ropes  with  which  they  had 
been  bound  after  the  fight. 

"  Did  we  not  carry  in  hither  five  men  bound 
last  night,  O  brothers  ?  Lo,  there  are  now  six 
men  unbound  !  "  exclaimed  one  of  them. 

"  By  God !  here  is  the  merry  one.  El  Hak- 
watieh,  also  the  Syrian  cook   of   the    Franks ! " 


A  Young  Martyn  175 

remarked  another  with  surprise.  ''  How  came 
you  in  here,  brothers?  We  saw  you  not  last 
night ! " 

Before  the  dragoman,  who  was  trembling 
excessively,  could  reply,  the  first  man  who  had 
spoken  uttered  an  exclamation,  and  pointed  with 
his  drawn  khanjar  to  the  hole  in  the  roof. 

"  Look,  O  brothers.  They  have  been  trying 
to  escape!  "  He  then  glanced  keenly  round  the 
little  group  of  prisoners.  "  By  the  Prophet  !  one 
of  them  has  escaped — the  big,  bearded  man  who 
fought  with  the  wooden  hammer  last  night ;  the 
rest  are  all  here.  Out,  brothers,  and  search  for 
him  ;  he  cannot  be  far  off." 

Two  of  the  men  at  once  darted  out  of  the 
room,  crying  out  to  their  comrades  outside,  that 
one  of  the  Franks  had  escaped. 

On  the  entry  of  the  Arabs  armed  with  knives 
and  clubs,  the  prisoners  had  at  once  concluded 
that  they  were  about  to  be  massacred.  Isha 
threw  herself  into  her  father's  arms,  who,  grasp- 
ing her  tightly,  breathed  a  prayer  that  their 
deaths  might  be  mercifully  speedy.  Aylward 
stepped  in  front  of  them  with  clenched  fists, 
determined  to  protect  them  to  the  utmost  of  his 
power,  and  to  sell  his  life  dearly.  Yorke  stag- 
gered to  his  feet,  resolved  to  strike  at  least  one 
blow  before  he  was  murdered.  The  dragoman 
and  the  cook  crouched,  terror-stricken,  against 
the  wall.     But  the  words  uttered  by   the  Beni 


176  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

Azaleh  on  entering,  showed  such  of  the  im- 
prisoned party  as  understood  Arabic,  that  their 
captors  had  no  immediate  intention  of  taking 
their  lives.  Aylward,  not  understanding  them, 
was  about  to  spring  on  the  nearest  man  in  order 
to  wrest  his  weapon  from  him,  when  he  was 
arrested  by  hearing  Isha,  who  divined  his  inten- 
tion, whisper  quickly, — 

"Stop,  Mr.  Aylward;  they  do  not  intend  to 
kill  us ! " 

"  Will  you  come  quietly  with  us  if  we  do  not 
bind  you,  O  Franks?"  asked  the  leader  of  the 
party. 

"  We  will  do  so,"  replied  Professor  Payne,  and 
then  told  Aylward  what  the  man  had  said. 

*'  I  suppose  it  would  be  useless  to  resist,"  said 
the  young  man.  "Tell  the  fellow  to  lead,  Pro- 
fessor, and  we  will  follow."  The  Professor  did 
so,  whereupon  the  Beni  Azaleh  all  turned  and 
left  the  room,  and  the  six  prisoners,  headed  by 
Aylward  supporting  Yorke,  passed  out  after 
them  into  the  courtyard.  A  number  of  Arabs 
were  congregated  there.  Four  of  them  were 
carrying  off  in  their  arms  a  sorely  wounded  man 
covered  with  blood.  They  were  followed  by  sev- 
eral others,  whose  contortions  and  groans  showed 
that  they  had  been  severely  hurt  during  the 
night-attack.  They  went  in  the  direction  of  the 
windlass  tower,  from  whence  came  a  creaking 
sound,  showing  that  the  Beni  Azaleh  were  lower- 


A  Young:  Martyn  177 

ing  their  wounded  and  disabled  to  the  foot  of  the 
rock.  Their  guard  led  Aylward  and  his  compan- 
ions through  the  courtyard  and  up  the  stone 
steps  to  the  top  of  the  rock.  At  its  highest 
point  and  close  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  were 
grouped  about  a  score  of  Beni  Azaleh. 

Seated  on  a  carpet  laid  on  the  rock  was  the 
mullah,  who,  with  bent  head,  was  fingering  a 
string  of  beads  and  muttering  prayers.  Beside 
him  sat  the  demented  sheikh  of  the  tribe,  gazing 
before  him  with  expressionless  face.  Neither  of 
these  old  men  had  been  with  the  attacking  party 
during  the  night,  but  had  come  up  from  the  camp 
that  morning.  The  prisoners  were  led  forward, 
and  made  to  stand  in  a  row  before  them.  Yorke 
being  unable  to  stand  from  the  pain  of  his  wound, 
soon  subsided  on  the  rock.  Isha  stood  between 
her  father  and  Aylward,  while  the  dragoman  and 
the  cook  stood  in  frightened,  suppliant  attitudes 
at  the  end  of  the  line.  The  mullah  did  not  look 
up  as  they  approached,  but  continued  his  me- 
chanical prayer-making  without  taking  any  no- 
tice of  them.  The  old  sheikh  gazed  at  them  as 
if  he  did  not  see  them,  and  uttered  no  sound. 
The  traitorous  ex-monk,  Brother  Barlaam,  though 
he  had  been  with  the  attacking  party  during  the 
night,  was  not  now  present. 

Aylward  was  about  to  suggest  to  the  Professor 
that  he  should  ask  the  mullah  what  the  Beni 
Azaleh  meant  by  their  treatment  of  them,  when 


178  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

all  the  Arabs  standing  round  turned  their  faces 
to  look  at  a  small  party  of  men  coming  over  the 
rock  toward  them.  El  Jezzar  was  leading,  and 
grasped  in  his  left  hand  a  long,  tufted  lance. 
His  shot-broken  right  arm  was  hidden  in  his 
cloak,  but  the  pain  he  was  suffering  from  it  was 
shown  by  the  ferocious  expression  of  his  haggard 
face.  Behind  him  came  Selim,  the  sheikh's  son, 
guarded  by  two  of  his  tribesmen.  On  being  led 
forward,  the  boy  gazed  eagerly  at  his  father  with 
a  face  full  of  affection  and  joy  at  seeing  him  ; 
but  the  old  man  looked  at  him  with  unrecogniz- 
ing  eyes.  A  look  of  intense  surprise,  followed 
by  a  spasm  of  pain,  crossed  the  boy's  beautiful 
features  when  he  realized  that  his  father  had 
taken  no  notice  of  him.  Tears  started  to  his 
eyes  and  he  sighed  slightly,  but  said  nothing.  It 
was  obvious  that  he  was  not  aware  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  old  sheikh's  mind.  He  did  not 
look  towards  his  fellow-prisoners,  the  shock  of 
his  father's  reception  of  him  having  for  the  mo- 
ment made  him  oblivious  of  everything  else. 
Meanwhile  the  mullah  had  raised  his  head,  and 
was  regarding  him  keenly.  For  some  moments 
he  remained  silent,  and  then  said  slowly  and 
austerely, — 

"  Selim,  son  of  Abd'allah  Abou  Mansur,  sheikh 
of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  you  have  sinned  against  God 
and  against  your  tribe  and  kin. 

"  Six  moons  ago,"  he  continued,  when  the  boy 


A  Youn§f  Marty n  179 

made  no  reply,  "  you  secretly  fled  from  the  tents 
of  your  people,  from  those  in  authority  over  you, 
from  those  who  loved  you,  to  herd  here  with 
Christian  dogs,  enemies  of  God  and  of  His 
Apostle.  Behold  the  result  of  the  deadly  sin 
you  have  committed !  Your  father  has  lost  his 
reason  in  his  search  for  you,  and  the  blood  of 
your  tribesmen  has  been  shed  by  unbelievers." 

On  hearing  the  mullah's  statement  regarding 
his  father,  Selim  started  and  gazed  at  the  old 
sheikh  with  eyes  overflowing  with  grief.  Every 
line  of  his  expressive  face  showed  the  deepest 
distress  and  contrition.  His  lips  trembled,  as  if 
he  was  about  to  speak,  but  he  restrained  himself, 
and  said  nothing. 

*'  Do  you  know,  boy,  that  if  God  wills  it,  you 
will  one  day  be  the  sheikh  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  ?  " 
demanded  the  mullah. 

"  I  renounce  my  right,"  replied  Selim  firmly, 
but  in  a  voice  that  vibrated  with  pain. 

"  Dare  you  say  that  to  our  very  beards  ? " 
shouted  El  Jezzar  wrathfuUy,  though  an  ill-con- 
cealed look  of  satisfaction  passed  across  his  face 
on  hearing  the  boy's  words.  The  mullah  mo- 
tioned to  him  with  his  hand  to  be  silent. 

"  You  cannot  renounce  your  right,"  he  said, 
addressing  Selim.  "  There  are  but  two  things 
that  can  prevent  you  becoming  some  day  the 
sheikh  of  your  tribe — your  death  or  your 
apostasy." 


i8o  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

The  boy  was  silent. 

"  Selim,  child  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  I  call  on  you 
to  repeat  the  Eshed  !  "  continued  the  mullah. 

The  boy  made  no  reply. 

*'Say,  my  son,  'God  is  the  Lord,  and  Moham- 
med is  the  Prophet  of  God ! '  " 

Selim  did  not  speak.  El  Jezzar  uttered  an  im- 
patient execration. 

"You  waste  words  in  questioning  him,  O 
saintly  one  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Can  we  not  all  see 
that  he  has  become  an  infidel  and  spits  on  the 
Eshed?" 

"Is  it  even  so,  O  unhappy  one? '*  demanded 
the  miillah,  eyeing  the  boy  sternly. 

Selim  kept  silence. 

"What!  Will  you,  a  son  of  Islam,  renounce 
the  Faith  and  throw  in  your  lot  with  these 
Christian  swine,  blasphemers  of  God  and  His 
Prophet  ?  " 

Still  the  boy  said  nothing. 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  meet  the  fate  of  all  un- 
believers ?  Will  you  risk  the  fire  that  is  fed  with 
the  bodies  of  men?"  cried  the  mullah,  angrily. 

"Listen,  O  obdurate  one,"  he  continued,  in  a 
cold  hard  voice,  on  receiving  no  reply.  "  It  has 
been  decided  by  the  council  of  the  tribe,  that  if 
you  have  abjured  the  Faith,  you  are  not  only 
unfit  to  lead  the  tribe  after  your  father's  death, 
but  even  to  live." 

Selim's    face  quivered,  but   he   did  not  speak. 


A  Youngf  Martyr.  18 1 

El  Jezzar  cursed  and  threatened  him,  but  the  boy 
did  not  seem  to  hear  him. 

*'  If  you  do  not  at  once  repeat  the  Eshed,  I 
swear  by  the  beard  of  the  Prophet  that  you  shall 
be  thrown  from  the  rock  !  "  shouted  El  Jezzar, 
furiously.  He  beckoned  to  the  hideous  negro  El 
Wahsh,  one  of  the  boy's  guards,  who,  with  a  grin 
on  his  bestial  face,  dragged  him  to  the  edge  of 
the  precipice,  and  forced  him  to  look  down. 
Selim  shuddered  visibly,  but  no  sound  came 
from  his  lips. 

"  See,  you  young  Christian  dog,"  continued  El 
Jezzar,  sticking  his  lance  upright  in  a  crack  in 
the  rock,  '*  if  you  have  not  renounced  the  cursed 
teachings  of  those  vile  sons  of  shameless  mothers 
before  the  shadow  of  this  lance  has  shortened 
one  span,  you  shall  be  thrown  over !  " 

Some  minutes  passed  in  total  silence.  The 
Beni  Azaleh  standing  round,  looked  on  stolidly 
and  silently,  showing  no  feeling  in  their  dark 
faces.  The  mullah  bent  over  his  beads  and  re- 
sumed his  prayers.  El  Jezzar  stood  glaring  ma- 
levolently at  Selim,  who  with  eyes  on  the  ground 
remained  motionless  and  silent.  Once  the  boy 
looked  up  and  glanced  appealingly  at  his  father, 
but  lowered  his  eyes  again,  for  the  old  sheikh 
was  obviously  unconscious  of  what  was  going  on. 

"  Father,  oh,  father !  surely  they  will  not  do 
as  they  threaten  ?  "  whispered  Isha,  horrified  at 
hearing  El  Jezzar's  last  words. 


i82  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  I  fear  they  will,  my  child,"  returned  Profes- 
sor Payne,  in  an  agitated  voice.  "  We  can  only 
pray  that  God  will  give  the  dear  boy  strength — 
and  receive  him." 

Isha  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and 
prayed  fervently  that  the  boy's  life  might  not  be 
sacrificed.  She  could  not  bring  herself  to  pray 
that  he  might  stand  steadfast,  and  meet  a  mar- 
tyr's fate. 

The  shadow  of  the  lance  receded  inch  by 
inch,  watched  by  all  in  a  silence  which  to  Isha 
and  her  companions  seemed  terrible.  The  mo- 
ment approached.  Suddenly  the  mullah  looked 
up. 

"  Selim,  son  of  Abd'allah  Abou  Mansur,  Asrael, 
the  angel  of  death,  awaits  you  below,"  he  said,  in 
a  cold  deliberate  voice,  in  which  there  was  no 
trace  of  human  feeling.  "  For  the  last  time  I  call 
upon  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Prophet  of  God,  on 
whom  be  peace,  to  repeat  the  Eshed !  " 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  the 
boy  spoke.  He  drew  himself  up,  his  face  glowed, 
and  his  eyes  dilated  as  he  said,  in  a  clear  ringing 
voice, — 

"  I  believe  in  God,  the  Father  of  all,  and  in 
His  Son,  Esa,  the  Christ,  and  in " 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Mighty,  the  Merci- 
ful !  "  interrupted  El  Jezzar  loudly,  making  a 
furious  motion  with  his  hand. 

The  next  moment  Selim  was  gone.     El  Wahsh, 


A  Youngf  Martyr.  183 

the  negro,  with  the  yell  of  a  wild  beast,  had 
pushed  him  over  the  precipice. 

"  My  God !  "  exclaimed  Aylward,  springing 
forward.  He  had  seen  from  the  fierce  face  and 
loud  voice  of  El  Jezzar,  and  the  rough  handling 
of  the  negro,  that  they  were  threatening  the  boy, 
but,  not  having  understood  what  had  been  said, 
had  not  realized  what  tragedy  was  being  enacted 
before  him. 

**  The  murderous  scoundrels  !  "  ejaculated 
Yorke,  trying  to  rise  to  his  feet,  but  sinking 
down  again  with  a  groan,  for  the  effort  had 
caused  him  agonizing  pain. 

Meanwhile  Isha,  white  to  the  lips,  stood  gaz- 
ing before  her  with  dilating  eyes,  her  hands  out- 
stretched supplicatingly.  She  stood  in  this 
attitude,  speechless  with  horror  for  some  mo- 
ments, and  then  swayed  slightly.  Her  father 
was  just  in  time  to  catch  her  in  his  arms  as  she 
sank  fainting  to  the  ground.  Aylward  heard  the 
choking  cry  she  gave  as  she  fell,  and  sprang  to 
her  assistance.  He  and  her  father  were  so  en- 
grossed in  attending  to  the  unconscious  girl  that 
they  did  not  see  what  happened  directly  after 
Selim's  murder.  Yorke,  too,  was  occupied  in 
watching  their  efforts  to  bring  Isha  back  to  con- 
sciousness and  saw  nothing,  while  the  dragoman 
and  the  cook  were  so  demoralized  by  fear  as  to 
be  oblivious  of  everything  but  their  own  sup- 
posed danger. 


i84  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

The  old  sheikh  had  sat  through  the  terrible 
scene  in  silence  without  showing  any  recognition 
of  his  son,  but  the  moment  the  boy  disappeared 
over  the  precipice  he  rose  hastily  and  looked 
wildly  round.  Then  with  a  heartrending  cry  of 
"  My  son  !  my  son ! "  he  rushed  to  the  spot 
where  Sclim  had  stood,  and  before  any  of  the 
startled  bystanders  could  prevent  him,  had 
sprung  over  the  precipice.  Uttering  cries  of  dis- 
may, all  the  Beni  Azaleh  ran  to  the  edge  and 
peered  down.  Two  shapeless  objects  lay  close 
together  on  the  sand  at  the  foot  of  the  rock. 

"  He  moves  !  Thanks  be  to  God  !  "  exclaimed 
several  of  the  Arabs. 

"  No,  by  God,  he  is  dead  !  Could  one  fall  so 
far  and  yet  live !  "  returned  others. 

A  look  of  satisfaction  that  he  tried  in  vain  to 
suppress  passed  for  a  moment  over  the  face  of 
El  Jezzar  as  he  gazed  down.  He  was  now  the 
sheikh  of  the  tribe. 

"  It  is  the  will  of  the  Disposer  of  all  things. 
Let  some  of  you  descend  at  once.  It  may  be 
that  there  is  yet  life  in  the  sheikh,"  ordered  the 
mdillah,  calmly.  He  had  not  risen  or  shown  any 
agitation  on  witnessing  the  murder  of  Selim  or 
the  suicide  of  the  boy's  demented  father,  except 
that  he  ceased  for  a  moment  to  finger  his  beads. 
Half  a  dozen  men  at  once  hurried  off  to  carry 
out  his  order. 

Isha  soon  recovered  from  the  swoon,  but  not 


A  Youn§f  Martyn  185 

from  the  shock  she  had  received.  She  lay  for 
some  minutes  in  her  father's  arms,  unable  to 
speak,  her  features  convulsed  with  horror  and 
distress.     At  length  she  gasped  out, — 

"  Oh,  father  dear  !  Oh,  Mr.  Aylward  !  Is  he 
— is  he  dead?" 

"  I  fear  so,"  responded  Aylward,  gravely. 

"  He  is  now  in  the  presence  of  the  Christ  he 
would  not  deny,  and  is  wearing  the  martyr's 
crown,  the  noble  boy,"  said  Professor  Payne, 
with  a  sob  in  his  voice.     Isha  burst  into  tears. 

"  Hush,  my  dear,  restrain  yourself,  or  the  sus- 
picions of  the  Bedawin  will  be  roused,"  contin- 
ued the  Professor  warningly.  With  a  strong 
effort  Isha  choked  back  her  sobs,  and  endeavored 
to  compose  her  agitated  features.  The  old 
sheikh's  sudden  action  had  fortunately  drawn 
the  attention  of  all  the  Beni  Azaleh  from  them, 
or  the  girl's  fainting  fit  and  tears  would  certainly 
have  betrayed  her  sex  to  them. 

Meanwhile  El  Jezzar,  the  mftllah,  and  some  of 
the  older  men  present  had  been  talking  together 
in  low  tones  ;  but  much  of  what  was  said  by 
them  was  overheard  by  the  prisoners.  El  Jezzar 
spoke  in  a  fierce  voice,  glaring  malevolently  from 
time  to  time  at  Yorke,  who  took  little  notite  of 
the  fellow,  being  in  great  pain.  It  soon  became 
evident  that  the  new  sheikh  was  proposing  that 
all  their  captives  should  be  thrown  over  the 
precipice.     The  mullah  and  the  others,  however, 


i86  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife, 

refused  to  consent  to  the  murder,  much  to  the 
ruffian's  wrath  and  dissatisfaction.  They  then 
talked  some  minutes  about  the  dragoman  and 
the  cook,  and  some  proposal  that  El  Jezzar  made 
seemed  to  meet  the  approval  of  the  mullah,  for 
he  nodded  his  head  gravely,  whereupon  the 
former  roughly  ordered  the  dragoman  to  come 
forward.  Georgis  stepped  out  of  the  line  of 
prisoners,  and  approached  in  a  cringing  attitude, 
ready  to  grovel  with  fear. 

"  You  have  seen  what  befell  one  who  forsook 
the  Faith,  and  blashemed  God  and  His  Prophet," 
observed  the  m(\llah,  eyeing  him  sternly.  "  Are 
you  a  Christian  ?     Speak,  fellow  !  " 

The  dragoman  hesitated  for  some  moments, 
and  then,  in  a  quavering  voice,  acknowledged 
that  he  belonged  to  the  Nestorian  Church. 

"Infidel  dog!  eater  of  the  leprous  pig!  If 
you  do  not  at  once  abjure  your  false  creed  you 
also  shall  be  thrown  from  the  rock !  "  exclaimed 
El  Jezzar,  motioning  to  El  Wahsh  to  seize  him. 
The  negro  dragged  Georgis  to  the  edge  of  the 
precipice,  and  forced  him  to  look  down.  The 
dragoman  struggled  in  the  black  ruffian's  grasp, 
and  howled  for  mercy. 

"  I  renounce !  I  renounce ! "  he  cried,  in  an 
agony  of  terror.  "I  will  become  a  Moslem!  I 
will  repeat  the  Eshed  ! — anything,  anything — 
only  spare  my  life  !  " 

At  a  sign  from  the  mullah  El  Wahsh  drew  the 


A  Young  Marty n  187 

trembling  dragoman  before  him.  Having  looked 
at  him  in  contemptuous  silence  for  a  few  seconds, 
the  mullah  ordered  him  to  repeat  the  Eshed  after 
him,  and  then  the  following  abjuration  : 

"I  renounce  the  society  of  unbelievers  in  this 
world  and  in  that  which  is  to  come.  I  choose 
God  for  my  Lord,  Mohammed  for  my  Prophet, 
and  Islam  for  my  faith." 

The  wretched  man  was  led  off  by  two  of  the 
Arabs  with  the  perspiration  standing  in  beads  on 
his  fat  face.  Hanna,  the  cook,  was  next  brought 
forward,  and  interrogated  by  the  mullah  as  to 
his  religious  belief.  He  renounced  Christianity 
at  once,  and  was  led  away  weeping.  The  Euro- 
pean prisoners  felt  sure  that  their  turn  was  now 
come,  and  the  thought  in  the  mind  of  each  was 
which  of  them  would  be  called  on  first  to  face 
the  trial.  It  was  soon  obvious,  however,  that  the 
Beni  Azaleh  had  no  intention  of  attempting  to 
force  them  to  apostatize. 

During  the  next  half-hour  El  Jezzar  and  his 
followers  were  occupied  in  watching  the  removal 
of  the  body  of  the  old  sheikh  from  the  foot  of 
the  rock  to  the  camp.  Beyond  giving  one  brief 
order  in  regard  to  the  corpse,  the  mullah  exhibited 
no  interest  in  the  proceedings,  but  sat  praying, 
bent  over  his  beads.  Aylward  and  his  companions 
were  then  conducted  to  the  windlass-tower  and 
lowered  to  the  ground,  one  by  one,  to  be  taken 
to  the  camp.     The  loot  collected  by  the  Beni 


i88  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

Azaleh,  which  consisted  only  of  cooking-utensils, 
porringers,  and  plates  from  the  refectory,  and 
other  articles  of  little  value,  were  afterwards  sent 
down.  A  party  of  armed  men,  led  by  El  Jezzar, 
then  made  a  final  and  careful  search  for  the  hid- 
den monks,  but  found  no  trace  whatever  of  them. 
They  decided  at  length  that  their  intended  vic- 
tims must  have  made  themselves  invisible  by 
magical  arts,  and  accordingly  gave  up  the  search. 
They  descended  from  the  monastery  by  the 
secret  way,  and  joined  the  rest  of  the  party,  who 
were  waiting  for  them  at  the  foot  of  the  rock. 

Though  the  distance  to  the  camp  was  not 
great,  the  Europeans  found  the  march  across 
the  salt  plain  very  trying,  for  the  sun  was  by 
this  time  high  in  the  heavens,  and  the  heat  in- 
tense. Professor  Payne,  Isha,  and  Aylward 
trudged  on  foot,  but  Yorke,  being  unable  to  walk, 
was  mounted  on  a  horse.  As  they  neared  the 
camp,  a  shrill,  tremulous  cry  arose  from  one  of 
the  tents.  It  was.  the  death-wail  raised  by  the 
women  of  the  tribe  for  the  late  sheikh.  On 
reaching  the  camp,  the  prisoners  were  placed, 
with  their  baggage,  in  a  small  tent,  and  a  guard 
put  over  them.  The  dragoman  and  the  cook  had 
been  taken  on  before  to  another  part  of  the  camp, 
and  being  now  Moslems,  were  given  their  liberty, 
and  were  well  treated. 


CHAPTER  Xm* 
Brother  Manon's  Experiences^ 

Brother  Manon,  who  had  undertaken  to  con- 
vey to  the  authorities  at  Jerusalem  the  news  of 
the  attack  on  the  monastery  by  the  Beni  Azaleh, 
and  of  the  peril  in  which  the  European  travelers 
stood,  did  not  succeed  in  escaping  to  the  hills 
before  sunrise,  as  he  had  hoped. 

Having  whispered  the  farewell  to  his  fellow- 
prisoners  through  the  hole  in  the  roof  of  the 
chamber  in  which  they  were  confined,  the  monk 
crept  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  the  ridge  of  the 
roof.  Though  he  moved  with  the  utmost  delib- 
eration and  caution,  the  tiles  creaked  and  broke 
under  him,  and  he  feared  every  moment  that 
some  of  them  would  slide  off  and  crash  on  the 
stones  below.  On  reaching  the  ridge,  he  peered 
over  into  the  courtyard. 

By  this  time  the  moon  was  low  on  the  horizon, 
and  the  shadows  were  long  and  deep.     The  fires, 


190  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

too,  that  the  Arabs  had  made,  were  burning  but 
dimly.  There  was,  nevertheless,  sufficient  light 
for  the  monk  to  see  that  nearly  all  the  Beni 
Azaleh  were  asleep,  wrapped  in  their  abaiyehs, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  wounded  men,  who 
lay  or  sat  round  the  fire.  No  guard  >  had  been 
posted,  and  no  precautions  taken  against  any  sud- 
den attack.  The  lances,  knives  and  clubs  of  the 
Arabs  lay  on  the  ground  or  rested  against  the 
trees.  It  was  evident  that  they  felt  no  appre- 
hension that  their  weapons  might  be  wanted 
again  that  night. 

Having  watched  the  enemy  for  some  minutes. 
Brother  Manon  slowly  crept  down  to  the  eaves 
of  the  roof,  and,  removing  a  number  of  the  tiles 
as  a  precaution,  swung  himself  over  and  dropped 
noiselessly  to  the  ground.  After  a  few  moments' 
hesitation,  he  made  his  way,  his  bare  feet  mak- 
ing no  sound,  to  the  windlass-tower,  hoping  to 
find  the  rope  hanging  down,  in  which  case  he 
had  resolved  to  slip  down  it  to  the  plain  below. 
To  his  disappointment  he  found  the  rope  wound 
up.  He  made  an  attempt  to  turn  the  capstan, 
to  let  the  rope  run  out,  but  the  clumsy  machine 
gave  so  loud  a  creak  as  it  moved,  that  the  monk 
at  once  desisted,  fearing  that  the  noise  would 
alarm  the  Beni  Azaleh. 

There  was  only  one  other  way  of  descending 
from  the  monastery,  and  that  was  by  the  secret 
stairway,  but  to   reach  the  head  of  this  it  was 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences.  191 

necessary  for  him  to  pass  through  the  courtyard, 
past  the  Arabs  bivouacked  there.  It  was  a  peril- 
ous proceeding,  but  the  monk  did  not  hesitate  a 
moment.  He  slipped  through  the  door  giving 
access  to  the  courtyard,  and  crept  on  hands  and 
knees  alon^  the  dark  cloister,  past  the  sleeping 
guard  at  the  chamber-door,  till  he  stood  within 
a  few  yards  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  under  the  trees. 
The  nearest  to  him  was  a  man  who  sat  with  his 
face  half  hidden  in  the  hood  of  his  cloak.  It  was 
El  Jezzar,  but  Brother  Manon  did  not  know  that 
it  was  the  leader  of  the  party,  and  the  most  evil- 
disposed  of  them,  who  sat  there  apparently  on 
the  alert,  or  he  might  have  hesitated  to  venture 
near  him.  The  ruffian  was  very  restless,  and 
from  time  to  time  groaned  and  cursed  audibly. 

Watching  his  opportunity,  when  El  Jezzar  had 
for  a  moment  pulled  his  hood  over  his  face,  and 
dropped  his  head  on  his  drawn-up  knees,  the 
monk  rose  quickly  and  walked  boldly  across  the 
courtyard,  keeping  as  much  as  possible  in  the 
shadow  of  the  olive-trees.  He  passed  in  full 
view  of  all  the  armed  men,  but  not  one  of  them 
saw  or  heard  him.  A  shaft  of  moonlight  shot 
across  the  courtyard,  and  the  monk  saw  that  the 
white  olive-blossoms  that  carpeted  the  ground 
were  spotted  with  blood.  It  was  with  a  sigh  of 
relief  that  he  stepped  into  the  vaulted  passage  at 
the  end  of  the  courtyard  and  emerged  on  the 
bridged   chasm   beyond.     Scrambling   over   the 


192  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

table,  which  still  blocked  the  way,  he  ran  up  the 
steps  cut  in  the  rock  to  the  summit,  and  made 
hastily  for  the  monastic  burial-place.  On  the 
way  he  passed  the  body  of  the  faithful  old  don- 
key lying  in  a  pool  of  blood.  The  rows  of  dead 
monks,  lying  on  the  rock,  presented  a  ghastly 
appearance  in  the  moonlight,  and  the  monk, 
glancing  at  them,  crossed  himself,  and  hurried  to 
the  spot  where  he  knew  was  the  head  of  the 
secret  stairway.  It  was  under  the  shelving  rock 
which  overhung  a  part  of  the  cemetery.  The 
stack  of  monks'  skulls  and  bones  which  had  con- 
cealed the  entrance  to  it,  had  been  thrown  down, 
revealing  an  open  trap-door. 

Murmuring  a  prayer.  Brother  Manon  lowered 
himself  through  the  door  till  his  feet  rested  on 
steps  below.  The  stairway,  which  went  down  a 
narrow  natural  cleft  in  the  rock,  not  visible 
either  from  outside  or  below,  was  pitch  dark,  and 
extremely  steep  and  dangerous.  The  monk  saw 
that  a  slip  might  precipitate  him  to  the  bottom 
and  therefore  descended  very  deliberately,  clutch- 
ing the  rock-wall  with  his  fingers  and  feeling  for 
every  step  with  his  feet.  More  than  once  he 
found  that  he  had  to  stride  across  the  narrow 
rock-fissure,  for  there  was  no  step  below.  He  was 
a  brave  man,  but  his  limbs  shook  and  the  perspira- 
tion started  on  his  face,  as  hanging  over  the  dark 
chasm  he,  from  time  to  time,  as  he  descended 
felt  about  for  foot-hold  on  the  opposite  side. 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences*  193 

When  he  had  got  about  half-way  down  the 
day  began  to  break.  He  saw  the  grey  light  of 
the  dawn  shining  through  a  narrow  crevice  in 
the  rock,  and  stopped  to  consider  what  he  should 
do.  It  was  now  too  late  to  attempt  to  cross  the 
plain,  for  he  would  certainly  be  seen  and  pur- 
sued by  the  Beni  Azaleh  before  he  could  reach 
the  hills.  It  was  dangerous  for  him  to  stop 
where  he  was,  for  it  was  more  than  probable  that 
some  of  the  Arabs  would  descend  the  rock  by 
the  way  they  had  come  up,  when  he  would  cer- 
tainly be  discovered.  Casting  his  eyes  round  in 
this  dilemma,  he  saw  with  relief  that  projections 
and  cracks  in  the  rock-wall  made  it  possible  for 
him  to  climb  into  the  crevice  above,  through 
which  the  daylight  was  now  streaming.  He 
resolved  to  clamber  into  the  recess,  and  hide 
there  all  day,  till  darkness  made  it  possible  for 
him  to  escape. 

On  creeping  into  the  crevice  he  found  at  its 
extremity  a  very  narrow  path,  evidently  cut  by 
human  hands,  leading  along  the  face  of  the  cliff. 
He  followed  it  with  great  difficulty  for  some 
thirty  yards  and  came  on  a  small  cave  only  just 
large  enough  to  enable  a  man  to  stand  upright 
or  to  lie  at  full  length  in.  Its  walls  and  shelving 
roof  were  adorned  with  very  ancient  rude  fres- 
coes and  archaic  inscriptions.  It  had  no  doubt 
been  the  retreat  many  centuries  before  of  some 
anchorite,  who  had  found  life  in  the  monastery 


194  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  "Wife* 

above  not  sufficiently  mortifying  to  the  flesh  and 
soul-satisfying,  and  had  therefore  retired  to  this 
hole  in  the  cliff  to  pass  his  days  in  solitary  medi- 
tation. The  utensils  that  had  supplied  the  holy 
man's  simple  wants  were  still  there,  but  half 
buried  in  the  dust  of  ages.  The  cave  commanded 
an  extensive  view  over  the  plain  towards  the 
camp  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  but  was  not  visible 
from  below. 

About  an  hour  after  sunrise  Brother  Manon 
saw  a  party  of  Arabs  carrying  across  the  plain 
their  comrades  who  had  been  wounded  during 
the  night.  As  he  sat  watching  them  something 
suddenly  shot  past  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and 
a  moment  later  a  dull  sound  like  a  heavy  blow 
came  from  below.  On  peering  down  he  was 
horrified  to  see  lying  on  the  sand  what  he  in- 
stantly recognized  to  be  the  body  of  the  young 
proselyte  Stephanos.  Holding  his  breath,  he 
gazed  down  eagerly,  hoping  to  see  some  sign  of 
life ;  but  the  boy  did  not  move,  and  the  monk 
saw  that  he  was  dead. 

"  Lord  Jesus,  receive  the  soul  of  Thy  young 
martyr !  "  he  exclaimed  fervently,  crossing  him- 
self. 

The  words  had  just  left  his  lips,  when  another 
human  body  rushed  through  the  air  in  front  of 
him,  and  struck  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  the 
precipice  with  a  sickening  thud. 

"  Holy    God !    they   are    throwing    down   the 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences*  i95 

English  gentlemen ! "  cried  Brother  Manon 
aloud,  in  his  horror.  But  another  peep  down 
the  precipice  showed  him  that  the  second  corpse 
now  lying  there  was  that  of  an  elderly  Arab 
with  gray  hair  and  beard.  He  wondered  greatly 
what  was  going  on  above,  and  whether  the  pris- 
oners were  fighting  for  their  lives,  and  had 
thrown  one  of  their  assailants  from  the  rock  in 
the  struggle.  For  several  minutes  he  sat  with 
his  powerful  hands  tightly  clasped  and  a  set  look 
on  his  brown  face,  waiting  for  the  next  victim  to 
be  hurled  down.  But  when  he  had  sat  for  a  con- 
siderable time  without  anything  happening,  he 
began  to  breathe  more  freely.  His  conviction 
that  the  boy  Stephanos  had  been  murdered  by 
his  tribesmen  because  he  had  refused  to  apostatize 
was  presently  confirmed.  Hearing  voices  [below, 
he  peeped  cautiously  down,  and  saw  a  number 
of  Beni  Azaleh  standing  near  the  two  bodies  that 
lay  on  the  sand.  Several  of  them  looked  up  to 
shout  to  their  comrades  above,  and  the  monk  for 
a  moment  feared  that  they  would  discover  him, 
but  they  were  too  excited  to  notice  the  face 
peering  down,  and  the  monk  withdrew  his  head 
quickly.  As  he  did  so  he  heard  one  of  them 
shout, — 

"  The  sheikh  is  dead  ;  we  will  carry  his  body 
to  the  camp  !     What  shall  we  do  with  the  boy  ?  " 

An  answering  cry  came  from  above  in  El 
Jezzar's  harsh  voice, — 


196  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

**  Let  the  young  Christian  dog  lie  and  rot ! 
Why  should  you  trouble  yourselves  about  such 
carrion  ?  " 

Soon  after,  Brother  Manon  saw  from  his  hid- 
ing-place a  party  of  Arabs  carrying  the  crushed 
body  of  their  late  leader,  wrapped  in  a  cloak, 
across  the  plain.  The  body  of  Stephanos  re- 
mained untouched.  Not  long  after  the  monl^ 
saw  the  dragoman  and  the  cook  being  escorted 
to  the  camp  by  a  few  Arabs.  The  fact  that 
their  masters  were  not  with  them,  and  that  they 
were  walking  at  liberty,  revealed  to  him  at  once 
what  had  happened. 

"  They  have  denied  their  Lord  !  May  He  have 
mercy  on  them  in  the  day  when  they  must  an- 
swer for  their  sin  !  "  he  murmured,  sorrowfully. 

About  an  hour  afterwards,  he  saw  with  satis- 
faction a  large  party  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  crossing 
the  plain  with  the  four  Europeans  in  their 
midst.  Three  of  them  were  walking,  and  though 
unbound,  were  evidently  prisoners,  while  the 
fourth,  whom  the  monk  recognized  to  be  Yorke, 
rode  a  mare,  her  owner  walking  on  one  side  and 
Aylward  on  the  other,  supporting  the  wounded 
man.  Brother  Manon  watched  the  procession 
till  it  disappeared  among  the  tents  of  the  camp. 

A  few  minutes  later  he  heard  the  voices  of  a 
number  of  men  descending  the  secret  stairway. 
They  were  talking  and  laughing  loudly  with  the 
object    obviously  of   keeping   up   their  courage, 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences,  197 

while  they  went  down  the  dark  rock-rift,  which 
they  believed  to  be  haunted  by  evil  spirits. 

Brother  Manon  remained  in  his  hiding-place 
all  day.  The  sun  streamed  into  the  cave  in  the 
afternoon,  making  it  a  very  oven.  In  spite, 
however,  of  its  burning  rays,  the  reflected  heat 
of  the  rock-walls  around,  and  the  blinding  glare, 
the  monk  contrived  to  get  a  few  hours'  sleep,  in 
a  crouching  attitude  at  the  back  of  the  cave. 
He  awoke  parched  with  thirst,  and  stiff  from  the 
cramped  position  in  which  he  had  slept,  just  as 
the  sun  set  over  the  hot  red  hills.  The  golden 
glow  died  quickly  out  of  the  western  sky,  and  ere 
long  was  succeeded  by  the  silvery  light  of  the 
moon. 

As  soon  as  the  ghostly  white  orb  appeared 
over  the  hills,  the  monk  rose.  He  was  resolved 
to  fulfill  his  promise  to  his  fellow-prisoners  and 
carry  the  news  of  the  lawless  doings  of  the  Beni 
Azaleh  to  the  authorities  at  Jerusalem.  His 
brethren  were  now  safe,  as  the  Arabs  had  appar- 
ently vacated  the  monastery ;  but  the  European 
travelers  were  captives  in  the  hands  of  the 
heathens  and  he  felt  it  was  his  duty  to  succor 
them  if  possible. 

As  he  stepped  out  of  the  cave  into  the  narrow 
path  leading  to  the  secret  way,  he  cast  a  glance 
towards  the  camp  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  and  saw  a 
solitary  figure  coming  across  the  plain  towards 
the    rock.      As    it    approached,    he  saw    by    the 


iqS  The  Findingf  of  Lofs  Wife. 

bright  moonlight  that  it  was  that  of  an  Arab  girl. 
She  came  hurriedly  to  the  foot  of  the  rock,  and 
fell  on  her  knees  beside  the  body  of  the  martyred 
boy  lying  there,  and  then  a  long,  low,  wailing  cry 
arose  on  the  still  night  air.  Brother  Manon 
stood  looking  down  with  deep  compassion  in  his 
dark  face. 

"  Selim !  Selim !  O  my  brother!  my  little 
brother,  speak  to  me !  It  is  I,  your  sister,  who 
call  you.  I,  Ay^da,  your  own  sister !  I  am 
come  to  help  you — to  heal  your  hurts,  to  take 
away  your  pain.  O  Selim,  Selim,  speak  to  me, 
my  brother !  "  cried  the  girl,  in  a  heart-broken 
voice.  But  no  sound  came  from  the  motionless, 
huddled  heap  of  bruised  flesh  and  broken  bones 
before  her.  Wringing  her  hands,  she  raised  her 
agonized  face  to  the  sky,  and  wailed  aloud. 
Then,  throwing  herself  on  the  sand  beside  the 
corpse,  she  sobbed  convulsively.  Every  now 
and  then  she  sat  up,  and  threw  handfuls  of  dust 
over  herself  with  despairing  cries. 

"  Poor  child  !  I  will  go  down  to  her.  It  maj^ 
be  that  God  will  send  comfort  to  her  by  me," 
murmured  the  monk. 

Making  his  way  along  the  path,  he  lowered 
himself  through  the  crevice  in  the  cliff  on  to  the 
dark  stairway,  and  descended  with  great  difficulty 
to  the  bottom.  There  he  found  a  hole  excavated 
in  the  rock,  and  crawling  along  it  on  hands  and 
knees,  emerged  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice.     The 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences.  199 

sand  that  had  hidden  the  entrance  had  been 
scraped  away  by  the  Arabs.  A  small  cross  cut 
in  the  rock  marked  the  spot,  and  had  enabled 
the  traitorous  monk,  Barlaam,  to  find  it  when 
betraying  the  monastery  to  the  Beni  Azaleh. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  no  enemy  was 
lurking  near,  and  that  the  girl  was  alone,  Brother 
Manon  walked  round  the  rock  till  he  came  to 
the  spot  where  she  was  wailing  over  her  brother's 
body.  Ay^da  lay  with  her  face  in  her  hands, 
her  whole  slender  frame  shaking  with  her  chok- 
ing sobs,  and  did  not  notice  the  approach  of  the 
monk. 

"  My  daughter !  He  on  whom  you  call  is 
standing  in  the  presence  of  God,,in  the  company 
of  the  blessed  martyrs  and  saints.  Everlasting 
happiness  will  be  his  reward ;  therefore,  weep 
not  for  him !  "  said  Brother  Manon,  in  Arabic, 
gently. 

On  hearing  his  voice  Ay^da  looked  up,  but 
showed  no  surprise  or  fear,  for  overwhelming 
grief  had  swallowed  up  all  other  feelings.  She 
gazed  at  him  in  silence,  but  with  questioning 
eyes  for  a  few  moments. 

"  I  am  an  unworthy  servant  of  God,  and  have 
come  in  the  hope  that  I  may  be  able  to  help 
and  comfort  you." 

So  saying,  the  monk  bent  over  the  body  of 
the  dead  boy,  and  gently  and  tenderly  turned 
the    beautiful    face,    happily    uninjured,    to    the 


200  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

moonlight,  and  straightened  the  broken  limbs. 
Ay^da  threw  herself  on  the  corpse,  and  kissed 
the  rigid,  dead  features  again  and  again,  wailing 
and  sobbing  unrestrainedly.  Brother  Manon 
stood  by,  his  lips  moving  in  silent  prayer.  Pres- 
ently he  moved  off  a  few  paces  and  began  to 
dig  a  grave  in  the  sand  with  his  hands.  It  took 
him  about  an  hour  to  excavate  a  hole  deep 
enough  to  receive  the  boy's  body.  He  then 
returned  to  where  Ay6da  was,  and  found  her  sit- 
ting with  eyes  fixed  on  the  dead  boy's  face,  sob- 
bing quietly,  for  grief  had  exhausted  her. 

"  My  daughter,  it  is  time  for  us  to  consign  our 
dead  to  the  earth,  to  await  the  resurrection  of 
the  just,"  he  said. 

"  It  is  well,  O  servant  of  God  !  My  people 
have  left  Selim  to  the  wild  beasts ;  but  we  will 
put  him  out  of  their  reach,"  returned  Ayeda,  in  a 
choking  voice. 

Taking  up  the  crushed  remains  in  his  power- 
ful arms,  the  monk  carried  them  to  the  rude, 
shallow  grave  he  had  prepared,  and  gently  laid 
the  body  in  it.  He  then  knelt  and  recited  in 
Greek  the  prayers  for  the  dead.  Ayi^da  stood 
beside  him,  looking  down  on  the  dead  form  so 
dear  to  her,  with  her  face  convulsed  with  grief. 
When  he  had  finished  praying,  Brother  Manon 
filled  in  the  grave  with  his  hands,  and  picking 
up  some  loose  stones,  arranged  them  in  the  form 
of  a  cross  above  it.     Ayeda  did  not  give  him  any 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences.  201 

assistance,  being  evidently  incapable  of  it. 
When  all  was  over,  the  monk  and  the  girl  stood 
for  some  moments  in  silence. 

"  Are  the  English  gentlemen  safe  in  the  camp 
of  your  people,  my  daughter  ?  "  asked  the  for- 
mer.    Ay^da  nodded. 

''  They  are  all  alive  now,  for  the  holy  mullah 
will  not  allow  them  to  be  hurt  ;  but  if  El  Jezzar 
had  his  will,  he  would  cut  all  their  throats,"  she 
said,  with  deep  indignation. 

"  Who  is  El  Jezzar  ?  " 

"  He  who  killed  Selim,"  returned  the  girl,  with 
flashing  eyes.  "  He  is  now  the  sheikh  of  the 
tribe,  having  caused  the  death  of  my  father  and 
my  brother.  He  is  a  most  wicked  man,  a  very 
son  of  Shaitdn  !  " 

"  Was  it  your  father  who  fell  from  the  rock  af- 
ter your  brother  was  thrown  down  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded,  and  her  tears  began  to  flow 
afresh. 

*^  My  father  sprang  down  the  precipice  when 
he  saw  Selim  pushed  over,"  she  sobbed. 

"  One  of  the  English  gentlemen  was  wounded 
in  the  fight  with  your  people.     How  is  his  hurt  ?  " 

"  El  Jezzar  shot  him,  and  he  will  die !  "  ex- 
claimed the  girl,  with  a  little  cry  of  despair. 

*'  Not  so.  The  wound  was  but  a  flesh  one,  and 
will  soon  heal,"  returned  the  monk.  A  look  of 
relief  passed  across  Ayeda's  face. 

''  What  has  become  of  the  wicked  man — may 


202  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

God  forgive  him  ! — who  betrayed  us  to  your  peo- 
ple ?  " 

"  El  Jezzar  threw  him  into  one  of  thesubbkhas, 
where  the  salt  will  eat  the  flesh  off  his  bones, 
though  he  swore  to  him  on  the  koran  that  he 
would  not  harm  him.  He  is  such  a  son  of  evil 
that  he  cannot  keep  faith  even  with  those  who 
serve  him  !  " 

"  When  was  this  done  ?  "  demanded  the  monk, 
his  face  showing  deep  concern  at  the  news. 

"  At  midday,  after  El  Jezzar  returned  to  the 
camp.'* 

"  Can  you  show  me  the  place  where  the  unfor- 
tunate man  is,  my  daughter  ?  I  must  go  to  his 
help.     Peradventure  he  is  yet  alive." 

"  What !  "  cried  Ayeda,  indignantly.  "  Do  you 
ask  me  to  help  you  to  save  from  the  fate  he  de- 
serves the  man  who  caused,  by  his  treachery,  the 
death  of  my  father  and  my  brother  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  that  God  will  change  his  heart, 
and  that  he  will  repent  of  his  evil  deed,"  said 
Brother  Manon.     The  girl  made  no  reply. 

"  My  daughter,  if  your  brother  could  rise  from 
his  grave,  he  would  say,  '  Avenge  not  yourself, 
forgive  your  enemy,  return  good  for  evil,'  "  con- 
tinued the  monk,  earnestly. 

For  a  moment  Ay^da  stood  silent  ;  then  she 
said  quietly, — 

"  You  are  a  good  man,  and  I  will  show  you  the 
place." 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences.  203 

Before  she  left  the  spot  to  lead  him  there,  she 
dropped  on  her  knees  and  kissed  the  cross  of 
stones  that  lay  on  her  brother's  grave.  Then, 
saying  simply,  "  Come  !  "  she  walked  off  in  the 
direction  of  the  camp,  followed  by  Brother  Ma- 
non.  Soon  they  found  themselves  among  the 
salt-pools  that  covered  the  plain,  through  which 
the  girl  threaded  her  way  slowly  and  cautiously. 
When  they  had  gone  half-way  across  the  plain, 
the  monk  heard  cries  a  short  distance  ahead,  and 
urged  his  companion  to  hurry  to  the  spot. 

'*  Nay,  servant  of  God,  we  must  go  slowly. 
The  moonlight  is  deceitful  and  death  will  follow 
a  false  step,"  was  her  reply. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  arrived  at  the  edge  of  a 
large  subbkha  or  brine-pit,  out  of  which  came  pierc- 
ing cries  of  pain  and  despair.  The  brink  and  sides 
of  the  pit  were  covered  with  salt,  which  glistened 
like  snow  in  the  moonlight.  The  bottom  was 
filled  with  water  of  inky  blackness,  from  which 
came  a  strong  sulphurous  odor.  The  moon- 
light revealed  the  figure  of  a  man  up  to  his  neck 
in  the  black  water,  and  clinging  to  the  snowy 
walls  of  the  pit.  He  had  evidently  made  frantic 
efforts  to  climb  out  of  the  corroding  brine ;  for 
his  hands,  torn  by  the  sharp  crystals  of  salt,  were 
covered  with  blood.  His  long  hair  was  plastered 
with  salt,  which  also  encrusted  his  face,  giving 
his  contorted  features  a  horrible  expression. 

"  Brother,  we  are  come  to  your  help  !  "  shouted 


204  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife^ 

the  monk.  But  the  man  in  his  fear  and  pain,  ap- 
parently did  not  hear  him,  for  he  continued  his 
frantic  cries,  echoed  by  the  steep  walls  of  the  pit. 

Brother  Manon  crawled  on  hands  and  knees 
along  the  brink  of  the  subbkha,  till  he  reached  a 
spot  where  a  ledge  of  crystalized  salt  projected 
from  the  side  of  the  pit  a  few  feet  over  the  head 
of  the  struggling  man.  Ayeda  watched  the 
monk  on  his  perilous  mission  of  mercy,  fearing 
every  moment  that  the  brittle  crust  overhanging 
the  pit  would  give  way  and  precipitate  him  into 
the  black  brine.  He,  however,  reached  the  other 
side  in  safety,  and  prepared  to  attempt  the  de- 
scent to  the  projecting  ledge  some  twenty  feet 
below  him. 

**  Take  care !  take  care !  if  you  slip  you  will 
die  a  fearful  death  !  "  cried  Ay^da,  seeing  what 
he  was  about  to  do.  Brother  Manon  paused  for 
a  moment  to  cross  himself  and  to  utter  a  prayer, 
and  then  lying  down,  lowered  himself  gradually 
over  the  edge,  and  half  sliding  and  half  clinging 
to  the  sloping  side  of  the  pit,  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  ledge  below.  Bending  down,  he 
tried  to  grasp  the  hands  of  the  man  he  was  risk- 
ing his  life  to  save,  but  they  were  just  out  of  his 
reach.  He  then  unwound  his  camel-hair  girdle, 
and  throwing  one  end  down,  shouted  to  the 
wretched  man  to  seize  it.  He  soon  saw,  how- 
ever, that  the  salt  had  blinded  the  poor  creature, 
and  that  fear  and  burning  pain  had  bereft  him  of 


Brother  Manon's  Experiences*  205 

reason,  for  he  took  no  notice  of  his  reiterated 
cries  to  him  to  grasp  the  girdle,  but  continued  to 
utter  piercing  shrieks  and  to  pray  and  curse  in- 
coherently. At  length  the  monk  drew  up  the 
girdle,  and  having  made  a  running  noose  at  one 
end,  was  about  to  throw  it  over  the  other's  head, 
when  the  doomed  man,  with  an  appalling  yell, 
threw  up  his  hands  and  disappeared  into  the 
black  depths  of  the  pit.  After  hours  of  agony 
the  traitor  had  met  the  fate  he  had  brought  on 
himself  by  his  wickedness. 

*'  God  have  mercy  on  you  !  God  have  mercy  on 
you  !  "  ejaculated  Brother  Manon,  horror-struck 
at  the  man's  awful  end.  For  some  minutes  he 
stood  praying  fervently  and  gazing  into  the 
water,  in  the  hope  that  the  drowning  man  might 
come  to  the  surface.  But  he  never  rose  again  ; 
only  a  few  bubbles  appeared  at  the  spot  v^here 
he  had  sunk. 

The  monk  now  attempted  to  climb  out  of  the 
pit  the  way  he  had  descended.  He  contrived  to 
scramble  half  the  way  up,  and  then  found  it  was 
impossible  to  advance  another  step.  The  wall  of 
salt  was  too  steep  to  afford  foothold  and  crum- 
bled away  at  every  effort  he  made  to  scale  it. 
Again  and  again,  with  the  perspiration  streaming 
from  him,  he  dug  his  toes  and  fingers  into  the 
cracks  and  fissures,  and  tried  to  raise  himself, 
only  to  slip  back  each  time  in  imminent  danger 
of  falling  into  the  black  brine  that  lay  like  pel- 


2o6  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

ished  ebony  below.  He  had  begun  to  despair, 
and  was  standing  in  silence  on  a  narrow  ledge  of 
rock-salt,  trying  to  compose  his  mind  in  order  to 
be  able  to  meet  with  godly  fortitude  the  awful 
death  that  he  thought  awaited  him,  when  he 
heard  a  voice  above  say, — 

"  Servant  of  God,  throw  the  end  of  your  girdle 
up  to  me  !  " 

Ayeda  had  come  to  his  help  at  peril  of  her  life. 
She  had  crept  on  hands  and  knees  round  the 
edge  of  the  subbkha,  and  was  now  kneeling  above 
him,  with  her  hand  outstretched  for  the  monk's 
girdle,  by  which  she  hoped  to  help  him  up. 

"  Nay,  my  daughter,  I  should  only  draw  you 
in  to  perish  with  me.  Go  back  to  the  path,  and 
return  to  your  people.  I  do  not  fear  death,  and 
will  remain  here  till  it  please  God  to  take  back 
the  life  He  gave  me,"  replied  Brother  Manon, 
gratefully  but  firmly. 

But  the  girl  refused  to  leave  him  to  his  fate. 
She  protested  that  she  was  stronger  than  she 
seemed  to  be,  and  was  positive  she  could  drag 
him  up  if  the  girdle  held.  For  a  long  time  the 
monk  would  not  consent  to  imperil  her  life, 
but,  seeing  that  she  was  determined  not  to  go, 
he  at  length  threw  the  end  of  his  girdle  to  her, 
with  repeated  injunctions  to  stand  well  back 
from  the  bank,  in  case  the  overhanging  crust 
gave  way.  The  girl  grasped  the  knotted  end 
firmly,  and  cried  to  him  to  draw  himself  up  hand 


Brothel*  Manon's  Experiences.  207 

over  hand.  With  a  prayer  on  his  lips,  not  for 
himself,  but  for  the  brave  girl  above,  the  monk 
slowly  and  cautiously  began  to  ascend,  thrusting 
his  naked  toes  into  the  crumbling  wall  of  salt, 
while  he  raised  himself  with  his  strong  arms.  In 
a  few  moments  he  stood  safe  on  the  edge  of  the 
brine-pit,  drawing  deep  breaths  of  relief;  then, 
followed  by  Ayeda,  he  crawled  back  to  the  path. 
They  had  scarcely  reached  it  when  the  whole 
side  of  the  subbkha,  where  the  monk  had  scram- 
bled out  with  the  girl's  assistance,  suddenly  fell 
in  with  a  mighty  splash,  making  the  black  brine- 
pool  boil  for  a  few  minutes. 

**  I  thank  Thee,  O  God,  and  dedicate  anew  to 
Thy  service  the  life  Thou  hast  preserved  ! "  ex- 
claimed Brother  Manon,  fervently. 

It  was  by  this  time  midnight.  The  camp  of 
the  Beni  Azaleh,  about  half  a  mile  distant,  lay 
dark  and  silent.  At  the  monk's  request  Ay6da 
conducted  him  across  the  plain  beyond  the  brine- 
pits,  to  the  path  leading  through  the  passes  of 
the  mountains  to  the  west.  He  then  stopped 
and  bade  the  girl  farewell. 

''  My  daughter,  your  martyr-brother  is  doubt- 
less at  this  moment  interceding  for  you  at  the 
Throne  of  God.  May  the  All-merciful  speedily 
bring  you  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Faith  for  which 
Stephanos  died.  The  blessing  of  God,  of  His 
Son,  and  of  His  Spirit  rest  on  you  forever,  my 
daughter.     Farewell!"  ^  i  ,  .     ' 

(viriTSItSIT 


2o8  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

The  monk  strode  away  on  his  mission  to  Jeru- 
salem on  behalf  of  the  English  prisoners  of  the 
Beni  Azaleh,  and  his  tall  form  soon  disappeared 
in  the  darkness.  Ayeda  returned  to  the  camp, 
slowly  and  sorrowfully,  but  not  weeping.  The 
good  man's  blessing  had  been  as  balm  to  her 
heart-wounds. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Prisoners* 

The  Beni  Azaleh  treated  their  prisoners  kindly- 
enough,  though  they  kept  them  confined  in  one 
of  their  tents,  guarded  by  a  couple  of  armed  men. 
They  were  not  bound  or  ill-used  in  any  way,  and 
they  soon  ceased  to  fear  that  any  violence  would 
be  offered  to  them.  All  their  possessions,  except 
their  weapons,  had  been  placed  in  the  tent  intact, 
but  they  did  not  know  what  had  been  done  with 
their  horses  and  donkeys.  They  could  not  im- 
agine what  their  captors  intended  to  do  with 
them,  but  anticipated  that  eventually  they  would 
conduct  them  out  of  the  mountains  to  the  Ghor, 
and  then  leave  them.  They  had  no  knowledge 
of  what  had  become  of  Brother  Manon,  except 
that  he  had  certainly  escaped  from  the  monastery 
and  had  got  safely  off  on  his  mission.  All  they 
could  do  was  to  exercise  patience,  and  hope  for 
the  best. 


2IO  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

The  prisoners  saw  nothing  of  either  the  drago- 
man or  the  cook,  who  were  lodged  in  another  part 
of  the  camp,  and  were  well  treated,  as  being  con- 
verts to  Islam.  Dressed  food,  evidently  prepared 
by  Hanna,  was  brought  twice  a  day  to  the  Euro- 
peans. 

While  they  were  having  their  first  meal  as 
prisoners  in  the  camp,  just  at  sunset,  they  heard 
distinctly  the  clanging  of  the  semandron  from  the 
monastery,  showing  that  the  monks  had  come 
out  of  their  hiding-place  and  had  resumed  their 
usual  avocations.  At  the  sound  many  of  the 
Beni  Azaleh  came  to  their  tent-doors  and  gazed 
up  at  the  rocks,  muttering  curses  and  threats. 

Professor  Payne  and  Aylward  screened  off  a 
portion  of  the  tent  for  Isha's  use,  and  made  as 
comfortable  a  bed  as  they  could  for  Yorke  on 
the  floor.  His  wound  had  inflamed  and  become 
very  painful,  and  feverish  symptoms  had  set  in. 
The  Professor  during  his  wandering  life  had 
dressed  many  wounds,  the  result  of  fights  or  ac- 
cident. He  did  his  best  for  Yorke,  but  the  heat 
and  uncomfortable  surroundings  had  a  bad  effect 
on  the  wounded  man.  Isha  waited  on  him  all 
day,  relieved  at  intervals  by  her  father  and  Ayl- 
ward. Not  being  allowed  to  talk,  the  artist  oc- 
cupied himself  in  watching  the  actions  and  looks 
of  his  young  nurse,  which  seemed  to  amuse  him, 
for  faint  smiles  sometimes  passed  across  his  face. 
As  Aylward  sat  beside  him  on  the  morning  after 


Prisoners*  2 1 1 

their  arrival  in  the  camp,  Isha  having  given  up 
charge  of  him  to  attend  to  something  her  father 
had  asked  her  to  do,  Yorke  beckoned  to  him  to 
bend  down. 

"Hal,"  he  whispered  into  his  friend's  ear, 
"  that  girl  has  lost  her  heart  to  you." 

"  Nonsense,  my  dear  fellow,"  returned  Ayl- 
ward  quickly,  though  a  tell-tale  flush  crossed  his 
face. 

"  It's  true  enough,  Hal,"  returned  the  artist. 
"  She  can't  keep  her  eyes  off  you,  and  listens  to 
every  word  you  say,  though  she  doesn't  seem  to. 
You're  a  lucky  fellow,  Hal.  She's  as  good  as 
she's  pretty  and  plucky,  and  that's  saying  a  good 
deal." 

Aylward  made  no  reply,  and  Yorke  said  no 
more,  but  the  next  time  the  former  spoke  to 
Isha  there  was  something  in  his  manner  and  in 
the  tone  of  his  voice  which  made  the  girl's  hands 
tremble,  her  color  to  rise,  and  her  eyes  to 
brighten.  Yorke  noticed  the  little  scene,  and  a 
grin  that  was  compounded  half  of  amusement 
and  half  of  pain  flitted  across  his  pale  face. 

The  day  following  that  on  which  they  had 
been  brought  prisoners  to  the  camp  Professor 
Payne,  Aylward  and  Yorke  discussed  together 
what  steps  they  should  take  to  obtain  their  lib- 
erty. It  was  decided  that  the  Professor  should 
ask  for  an  interview  with  the  new  sheikh,  and  offer 
him  a  good  round  sum  for  safe  conduct  to  Mar 


212  The  Finding:  of  Lofs  Wife* 

Saba.  He  accordingly  spoke  to  the  Arabs 
guarding  the  tent,  one  of  whom  went  off  to  in- 
quire what  El  Jezzar's  pleasure  was.  After  con- 
siderable delay  a  message  was  brought  that  the 
sheikh  would  see  Abou*  Dukhu,  which  was  the 
name  the  Beni  Azeleh  had  given  the  Professor 
on  account  of  his  long  white  beard.  He  left 
the  tent,  escorted  by  half  the  tribe,  and  was 
absent  about  half  an  hour.  On  his  return  his 
face  exhibited  mild  indignation  and  some  dis- 
gust. 

"  Well !  how  did  the  ruffian  receive  you  ?  " 
asked  Ay  1  ward. 

"  He  was  present,  lying  on  a  carpet  in  the 
corner  of  the  tent,  but  took  no  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings, being  too  ill.  He  was  in  a  high  fever, 
owing  to  his  shattered  arm.  I  was  received  by 
the  mullah  and  about  a  dozen  of  the  elders  of 
the  tribe.  They  were  civil  enough,  but  I  could 
not  get  from  them  any  direct  answer  to  our 
offer,  or,  indeed,  any  reply  at  all.  The  mullah 
took  the  lead  in  the  palaver,  though  what  he 
condescended  to  say  was  very  little  indeed.  I 
asked  him  whether  he  was  aware  of  the  probable 
consequences  to  himself  and  the  tribe  of  their 
lawless  acts  as  soon  as  the  Turkish  authorities 
heard  of  them.  He  made  no  reply,  but,  stroking 
his  beard,  observed  piously,  '  Please  God ! '  I 
then    said   that  we  would  overlook  their  treat- 

*  Father  of  a  beard. 


Prisoners*  213 

ment  of  us,  and  would  intercede  for  them  with 
the  Pasha,  should  the  matter  come  to  his  ears, 
on  condition  that  they  at  once  released  us. 
Whereupon  he  remarked,  '  Thanks  be  to  God  !  * 
and  made  no  other  answer.  Finally  I  promised 
to  pay  down  one  thousand  piastres  if  they  es- 
corted us  in  safety  as  far  as  Mar  Saba.  To  this 
offer  the  only  reply  I  got  was,  '  God  is  great !  * 
It  seemed  to  me  that  they  were  alarmed  at  what 
they  had  done,  and  do  not  know  what  to  do  with 
us,  being  equally  afraid  to  detain  us  or  let  us  go. 
The  mfillah  was  evidently  disinclined  to  commit 
himself  to  any  promises.  He  and  some  of  the 
old  men  present  held  a  whispered  consultation, 
at  the  end  of  which  I  was  told  that  my  offers 
would  be  considered,  and  I  should  have  my 
answer  in  the  evening." 

"  Is  the  sheikh  in  a  bad  way.  Professor  ? " 
asked  Aylward. 

"  I  examined  his  wound  before  I  left,  at  the 
request  of  some  of  the  men  present,  and  found 
him  in  a  very  critical  condition.  The  shot  had 
nearly  cut  his  right  arm  off,  and  the  bones  were 
splintered.  They  had  applied  some  useless  con- 
coction of  herbs,  which  had  only  served  to  in- 
flame the  wound.  On  removing  the  dressing,  I 
saw  that  gangrene  was  setting  in,  and  that 
amputation  was  the  only  thing  that  could  save 
him.  I  proposed  it,  but  of  course  they  would 
not    hear  of    it,  and   I   had  to   be   content  with 


214  The  Findingf  of  Lot's  Wife* 

washing  and  binding  up  the  man's  arm.  I  am 
afraid  his  days  are  numbered." 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  be  sorry  that  it  was  I 
who  gave  him  his  wound,  but  I  can't  truthfully 
say  I  am,"  observed  Aylward.  "  He  is  a  mur- 
derous scoundrel,  whose  death  will  be  no  loss  to 
the  world." 

"  I  was  much  struck  with  the  evil  expression  of 
his  face.  Cruelty,  rapacity  and  lust  were  written 
in  every  line  of  it.  The  sight  of  it  enabled  me 
to    realize    the    force    of    the    Bedawin    curse : 

*  May  God  multiply  your  sheikhs,'  "  remarked  the 
Professor. 

"  It's  a  comfort  to  think,  Hal,  that  there  is 
little  chance  now  of  the  brute  ever  forcing  that 
beautiful  girl  to  marry  him,"  observed  Yorke,  lan- 
guidly. Aylward  explained  to  Professor  Payne 
and  Isha,  that  his  friend  referred  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  sheikh,  and  the  sister  of  Selim, 
whose  dreadful  death  they  had  witnessed  and 
that  she  was  betrothed,  most  unwillingly,  to  El 
Jezzar. 

The  Professor  declaimed  against  the  brutality 
of  the  Bedawin  to  their  women,  whom  they 
treated  with  less  consideration  than  their  camels 
and  horses.  He  said  that  their  marriage  rites 
might  be  described  as  "  Wedded  with  a  wink, 
and  divorced  with  a  kick,"  and  that  '^  My  babuj  * 
did  not  fit,  so  I  cast  it  off,"  was  the  way  in  which 

*  Slipper. 


Prisoners*  215 

an  Arab  would  announce  his  repudiation  of  his 
wife. 

"  I  fancy  that  the  man  we  have  most  reason  to 
fear  is  that  blear-eyed  old  villain  of  a  mullah," 
remarked  Ay  1  ward. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  sir,"  returned  the  Pro- 
fessor. "  He  is  ill  disposed  towards  us  because 
he  looks  on  us  as  unbelievers  and  enemies  of  God. 
He  is  a  hadji  and  is  therefore  a  mixture  of  fana- 
ticism and  scoundrelism.  There  is  a  significant 
Arabic  proverb  which  says,  '  If  your  neighbor  has 
made  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  watch  him ;  if 
twice,  avoid  his  society  ;  if  three  times,  move  into 
another  street.'  " 

The  answer  to  the  Professor's  ultimatum  prom- 
ised by  the  mullah  was  not  sent,  though  the 
prisoners  sat  up  till  late,  hoping  to  hear  be- 
fore they  lay  down  to  sleep  what  their  fate  was 
to  be. 

About  the  middle  of  the  night,  Isha,  who  was 
a  very  light  sleeper,  was  awakened  by  a  slight 
sound  on  the  soft  other  side  of  the  camel-hair 
wall  of  the  tent.  The  footsteps  of  some  person 
who  was  creeping  cautiously  round  to  the  door 
were  distinctly  audible.  She  at  once  divined 
that  any  one  approaching  in  so  furtive  a  fashion 
could  not  have  any  good  object  in  view,  and  the 
terrible  thought  instantly  occurred  to  her  that  the 
Beni  Azaleh  had  resolved  to  murder  them  all  in 
their  sleep,  and  that  it  was  the  assassin  she  heard 


2i6  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

coming  on  his  evil  errand.  For  a  moment  her 
heart  stood  still,  but  in  another  she  had  quickly 
but  silently  risen  to  her  feet,  and  had  stepped  out 
from  the  recess  in  which  she  had  lain  screened 
from  her  companions.  She  had  resolved  that  if 
she  saw  that  murder  was  intended,  to  give  the 
alarm,  and  hoped  to  be  the  first  victim,  if  it  was 
to  be  their  fate  to  be  massacred. 

The  moonlight  shining  through  the  tent-door 
revealed  her  father  lying  asleep  on  the  floor,  with 
Yorke  near  him  sleeping  uneasily,  and  across 
the  doorway  lay  Aylward,  with  the  moonlight 
streaming  on  his  face.  Isha,  as  she  stepped 
lightly  over  him,  cast  a  glance  at  him  that  would 
have  made  his  heart  leap  could  he  have  seen  it. 
She  was  relieved  to  find  two  men  fast  asleep  at  the 
door  of  the  tent,  squatting  with  their  heads  be- 
tween their  knees,  and  their  spears  stuck  in  the 
ground  beside  them.  They  had  drawn  their 
camel-hair  cloaks  over  their  heads,  so  that  the 
slight  sound  made  by  the  girl's  movements  was 
unheard  by  them.  A  fire  of  camel-bones  and 
dung  was  burning  before  the  tent.  Some  dead 
juniper  wood  from  the  salt  plain  had  been  thrown 
on  it,  apndi)ufned-with/a  bluish  flame. 

On  coming  out  of  the  tent,  Isha,  with  a  fast- 
beating  heart,  glanced  nervously  round,  half 
expecting  to  see  a  swarthy  assassin,  with  a  gleam- 
ing khanjar  in  his  hand,  crouching  near.  The 
next  moment  she  started  violently,  and  uttered 


Prisoners.  217 

a  low  frightened  cry,  for  standing  close  by,  in  the 
shadow  of  the  tent,  was  a  motionless  figure.  A 
second  terrified  glance  showed  her,  to  her  intense 
relief,  that  it  was  not  that  of  an  armed  man,  but 
of  a  tall  slender  Arab  giri.  Isha  gazed  at  her  in 
surprise  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  saw  that 
she  was  beckoning  to  her.  She  hesitated,  for  she 
could  not  imagine  what  object  the  girl  could  have 
in  coming  to  their  tent  secretly  at  such  an  hour, 
but  plucking,  up  courage  she  stepped  out  of  the 
doorway,  and  passing  between  the  two  sleeping 
Arabs,  went  towards  her.  The  girl  turned  and 
led  the  way  to  the  back  of  a  neighboring  tent, 
where  they  could  not  be  seen  by  the  guard. 
Isha  saw  by  the  moonlight  that  she  was  of  re- 
markable beauty,  and  that  her  face  was  very  sad. 
She  knew  at  once  who  she  was  from  Yorke's 
account  of  her  and  from  her  striking  resemblance 
to  Stephanos.  But  for  her  female  dress  she 
might  have  been  mistaken  for  the  martyred  boy 
himself  risen  from  the  dead.     It  was  Ay^da. 

"  Does  my  lord  understand  the  speech  of  the 
Bedawin?"  asked  the  girl  in  a  whisper.  Isha 
indicated  with  a  little  nod  of  her  head  that  she 
did.  A.    ^--^-^^t^^     I 

"  My  lord,  I  pray  you  pardon  my  boldness.  I 
am  the  daughter  of  Abd'allah  Abou  Mansur, 
who  was  sheikh  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  two  days  ago, 
but  is  now  dead.  I  have  brought  some  leben  for 
my  lord,  the  young  hakim  who  is  wounded." 


2i8  The  Finding:  of  Lofs  Wiic* 

So  saying,  she  handed  to  Isha  a  pot  full  of 
sour  curds. 

"The  hakim  will  be  pleased/'  replied  Isha,  un- 
derstanding that  she  referred  to  Yorke.  *'  But  why 
bring  your  gift  at  such  an  hour  as  this,  O  girl  ?  " 

On  hearing  Isha's  voice  Ay^da  started,  gazed 
^keenly  at  her  face,  and  surveyed  her  from  head 
to  foot  with  obvious  surprise  and  interest. 

"  Because  my  people  would  not  allow  me  to 
bring  it  in  the  daytime,"  she  replied  simply ;  and 
then  she  added,  after  a  few  moments'  silence, 
"  My  lord  has  the  voice  of  a  maiden  and  the  face 
of  a  maiden,  yet  my  lord  is  dressed  like  a  man." 

It  was  a  shock  to  Isha  to  find  that  the  keen- 
eyed  Arab  girl  had  penetrated  her  disguise,  and 
she  did  not  for  the  moment  know  what  to  do  or 
say.  She  realized  that  if  it  was  so  easy  for  a 
young  girl  to  detect  her  by  moonlight,  it  would 
be  impossible  for  her  to  hide  her  sex  from  the 
Beni  Azaleh  long.  She  stood  in  silence  for  some 
moments,  while  Ayeda  gazed  at  her  with  an  ex- 
pression which  showed  that  some  painful  thought 
had  occurred  to  her.  Isha  decided  to  confide  in 
the  girl,  and  to  trust  to  her  evident  wish  to  be- 
friend them  not  to  betray  her. 

"  1  am  a  girl  like  yourself,  and  I  dress  like  a 
man  to  please  my  father,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  You  are  doubtless  the  daughter  of  the  old 
man  whom  our  people  call  Abou  Dukhu  ?  " 

''Yes,  O  girl." 


Prisoners^  219 

"Are  you  married,  O  lady?" 

Isha  shook  her  head. 

**  Do  you  love  either  of  the  two  young  lords  ?  " 
asked  Ayeda  eagerly,  almost  rudely. 

"  We  girls  of  the  west  think  it  unmaidenly  to 
speak  of  such  things,"  replied  Isha,  with  a  blush. 
But  the  Arab  girl  did  not  heed  the  reproof. 

"  Is  it  the  young  hakim,  he  who  is  wounded, 
that  you  love  ?  "  she  demanded  in  a  hard  whisper, 
her  eyes  shining  in  the  moonlight  like  those  of 
some  wild  animal. 

"  No,  O  girl ;  but  you  must  not  ask  me  any 
more  such  questions." 

Ay^da  uttered  a  sigh  of  relief,  and  the  two  girls 
stood  looking  at  each  other  for  a  considerable 
time  without  speaking. 

'*  I  have  evil  tidings  for  you,  O  lady,"  said 
Ayeda,  at  length. 

"  Let  me  hear  them,  O  girl,"  replied  Isha, 
anxiously. 

"Just  after  sundown,  as  I  was  passing  at  the 
back  of  the  sheikh's  tent  on  my  way  home  from 
milking  the  camels,  I  overheard  El  Jezzar  talking 
about  you  all.  The  holy  mullah  and  some  of  the 
old  men  of  the  tribe  were  with  him.  El  Jezzar 
spoke  in  a  very  low  voice,  for  he  is  ill.  It  is  said 
in  the  camp  that  he  is  dying.  I  heard  him  say 
that  if  the  news  of  the  attack  on  the  monastery 
and  of  the  capture  of  the  Frank  travelers  by  the 
tribe  reached  the    Holy  City,  the   Pasha   would 


220  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

send  troops  against  us,  and  that  only  by  cutting 
the  throats  of  all  the  strangers  would  we  be  safe. 
The  mullah,  the  blessing  of  God  be  on  him,  and 
the  old  men  present  would,  however,  by  no 
means  consent  to  your  death.  Then  El  Jezzar 
proposed  that  they  should  allow  Abou  Dukhu 
and  his  son,  that  is,  you  and  your  father,  to  go ; 
but  that  they  should  put  to  death  the  hakim  and 
his  friend,  in  revenge  for  the  wounds  they  had  in- 
flicted on  the  men  of  the  tribe.  But  to  this  also 
the  mullah  and  the  others  would  not  give  consent. 
They  said  that  the  two  young  lords  had  been  the 
guests  of  the  Beni  Azaleh,  and  must  not  be  hurt ; 
also,  that  in  wounding  men  of  the  tribe  they  had 
only  been  defending  themselves  from  attack. 
Then,  O  lady,  the  mullah  suggested  something, 
but  I  could  not  hear  all  that  was  said,  for  they 
spoke  in  whispers  ;  but  this  much  I  heard.  You 
are  all  to  be  escorted  from  the  camp  to-morrow 
morning  and  taken  to  some  place  among  the  moun- 
tains, I  know  not  where,  and  there  left  to  find  your 
way  out  if  you  are  able.  When  you  are  gone  the 
camp  is  to  be  broken  up,  and  the  Beni  Azaleh 
are  to  return  to  the  Great  Desert.  I  fear  me 
that,  though  they  will  not  kill  you,  evil  is  in- 
tended, O  lady." 

"  Will  they  not  give  us  horses  and  food,  that 
we  may  have  at  least  some  chance  of  making  our 
way  to  the  Ghor?"  asked  Isha,  with  a  sinking 
heart. 


Prisoners*  221 

"  I  know  not,  O  lady ;  but  I  fear  that  they  will 
take  you  to  some  place  from  which  it  will  not  be 
possible  for  you  to  escape." 

Filled  with  concern  at  what  the  girl  had  told 
her,  Isha  left  her,  after  thanking  her  for  her  kind- 
ness and  receiving  from  her  a  promise  that  she 
would  not  divulge  to  her  people  the  fact  that  one 
of  their  four  prisoners  was  a  girl  in  disguise,  and 
crept  back  to  the  tent,  which  she  succeeded  in 
reaching  without  disturbing  the  guards.  She 
awoke  her  father,  and  communicated  to  him  what 
Ay^da  had  told  her.  Professor  Payne  aroused 
Aylward,  and  the  two  men  discussed  for  some 
time  the  alarming  news  brought  to  them  by  the 
Arab  girl.  They  decided  at  length  that  she  was 
probably  mistaken  in  supposing  that  her  people 
intended  their  prisoners  any  harm,  and  that  the 
Beni  Azaleh  would  probably  take  them  to 
within  a  few  miles  of  Mar  Saba,  and  then  leave 
them  to  find  the  rest  of  the  way  themselves. 
Comforting  themselves  with  this  thought,  they 
lay  down  and  went  to  sleep  again. 

Very  early  in  the  morning  they  were  roused 
by  the  two  men  who  had  guarded  them  all  night, 
who  entered  the  tent  noisily,  shouting, — 

'*  Rise,  O  Franks  !     Men  are  come  to  ride  with 
you  from  the  camp.     The  morning  star  is  shin- 
ing, and  all  is  ready  for  the  journey  that  is  before 
you." 
'  On  hearing  this  peremptory  order,  which  Pro- 


222  The  Findingf  of  Lot's  Wife* 

fessor  Payne  translated  to  Aylward,  the  two  men 
rose  hastily,  and  went  to  the  door  of  the  tent. 
Standing  before  it,  in  the  bright  moonlight,  were 
two  horses  and  two  riding-donkeys,  saddled  ;  also 
two  baggage-donkeys,  one  laden  with  saddle- 
bags apparently  containing  provisions,  and  the 
other  with  two  skins  full  of  water.  The  horses 
and  donkeys  were  led  by  armed  Arabs,  while 
half  a  dozen  others  sat  their  mares  beyond, 
each  man  with  his  long  lance  in  his  hand.  The 
mounted  men  were  evidently  to  form  their  es- 
cort from  the  camp.  The  Europeans  would  have 
liked  to  have  had  some  food  before  starting,  but 
the  Beni  Azaleh  were  evidently  impatient  to  be 
off,  and  the  Professor  advised  that  they  should 
make  no  protest,  but  start  at  once. 

As  Yorke  could  not  walk  Aylward  carried  him 
out  in  his  arms,  and  lifted  him  on  to  one  of  the 
two  donkeys.  Isha,  without  a  word,  mounted 
the  other  donkey,  sitting  it  as  a  man  would. 
Aylward  was  about  to  help  her  into  the  saddle, 
but  a  warning  look  from  the  girl  restrained  him. 
He  wished  to  walk  beside  his  friend,  but  the 
Beni  Azaleh,  to  his  great  wrath,  would  not  allow 
him,  but  ordered  him  to  mount  his  horse,  which 
he  at  length  reluctantly  did,  realizing  that  it 
would  be  useless  to  resist.  Professor  Payne 
mounted  the  other  horse,  and  the  party  started. 
An  Arab  led  Yorke's  donkey  by  its  bridle,  while 
another    walked    beside   him,  supporting     him. 


Prisoners*  223 

The  six  armed  men  rode  in  front.  As  they  went 
through  the  camp,  the  travelers  glanced  about 
them,  hoping  that  they  would  be  joined  by  the 
dragoman  and  the  cook,  but  saw  nothing  of 
them. 

When  daylight  appeared,  Aylward,  happening 
to  glance  at  their  escort  ahead,  saw,  with  surprise 
and  apprehension,  that  the  leader  was  El  Wahsh, 
the  negro. 

"Good  heavens,  Professor!"  he  exclaimed, 
turning  in  his  saddle,  "the  brutal  nigger,  who 
murdered  that  poor  boy  at  the  monastery,  is  in 
charge  of  the  party !  " 

"  I  saw  that  it  was  so  when  we  started,  sir," 
replied  the  old  man,  riding  up  to  him  and  speak- 
ing in  a  low  voice,  so  that  his  daughter  should 
not  hear.  "  I  fear,  from  such  a  ruffian  being  de- 
puted to  escort  us,  some  villainy  is  intended." 

"  Oh,  for  a  revolver,  that  I  might  put  a  bullet 
through  the  black  brute's  head  at  the  first  hint 
of  violence  !  "  groaned  Aylward. 

The  party  had  not  ridden  a  mile  from  the 
camp  when  the  pain  of  Yorke's  wound  became 
so  excruciating  that  the  perspiration  started  on 
his  face,  which  grew  so  pale  that  his  companions 
thought  every  moment  that  he  was  about  to 
faint.  He  bore  the  torture  without  a  murmur, 
and  replied  to  their  anxious  questions  that  he 
could  hold  out  if  only  they  went  slowly.  It  was 
evident  that  Isha  was  extremely  nervous,  and  was 


224  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wiic* 

experiencing  great  discomfort,  but  she,  too,  said 
nothing.  The  miserable  half-starved  baggage- 
donkeys  in  the  rear  could  scarcely  stagger  under 
their  loads,  and  were  mercilessly  belabored  every 
moment  by  the  Arabs  who  drove  them. 

They  left  the  salt  plain  in  the  midst  of  which 
the  monastery-rock  stood,  and  rode  up  a  long 
narrow  wadi,  on  reaching  the  head  of  which  they 
began  to  turn  and  twist  among  the  defiles  and 
gorges  of  the  arid  mountains,  apparently  going 
at  haphazard,  for  there  was  no  sign  of  any  path. 
Suddenly,  after  they  had  been  in  the  saddle  for 
three  hours  or  more,  Aylward  exclaimed, — 

"I'll  be  hanged,  Professor,  if  I  don't  think 
these  rascals  are  taking  us  round  in  a  circle ! 
The  sun  was  at  our  backs  when  we  started,  and 
we  are  now  facing  it !  " 

Professor  Payne,  who  had  been  sunk  in  a 
reverie,  glanced  about  him  in  surprise,  without 
replying. 

"  I'm  sure  that  strangely-shaped  peak  in  front 
of  us  is  the  one  at  the  north  end  of  the  valley 
where  the  monastery  is,"  remarked  Isha. 

"  It  certainly  is,"  returned  her  father.  "  We 
can't  be  far  from  where  we  started,  in  spite  of 
our  long  ride."  He  then  said  something  in 
Arabic  to  El  Wahsh,  who  was  riding  a  little  in 
front.     The  negro  gave  a  short  gruff  reply. 

"What  did  you  ask  him,  Professor?"  said 
Aylward. 


Prisoners*  225 

"  I  asked  him  where  we  were  going,  and  he 
said  '  Towards  God's  Gate,'  which  is  a  Bedawi's 
usual  reply  when  he  does  not  wish  his  destina- 
tion to  be  known." 

At  that  moment  a  familiar  clanging,  vibrating 
sound,  coming  from  no  great  distance,  was  dis- 
tinctly heard  by  all  the  party. 

"  By  Jove,  that's  the  semandron  at  the  mon- 
astery!  "  exclaimed  Aylward.  "  I  knew  that  the 
villains  were  playing  us  some  trick ;  but  what 
can  their  motive  be  in  bringing  us  back  to  the 
valley  by  such  a  circuitous  route?" 

"  Perhaps  they  have  lost  their  way,"  suggested 
Isha. 

"  They  are  not  acting  as  if  they  had.  Miss 
Payne ;  they  showed  no  surprise  at  hearing  the 
semandron,"  returned  Aylward. 

Meanwhile,  Professor  Payne  had  again  ad- 
dressed the  negro  leader  of  the  escort,  and  had 
received  another  curt  reply,  which  had  produced 
broad  grins  on  the  faces  of  the  other  Arabs. 

"What  does  the  sooty  satyr  say  now?  "  asked 
Aylward. 

"  He  says  that  the  sounds  we  heard  were 
caused  by  evil  spirits." 

"  The  impudent  black  scoundrel !  "  exclaimed 
Aylward,  indignantly. 

The  party  had  been  riding  up  a  very  narrow 
gorge,  the  sides  of  which  were  formed  by  lofty 
terraced  cliffs.     It  apparently  led  directly  to  the 


226  The  Finding;  of  Lot's  "Wife 

place  from  which  the  sound  of  the  semandron 
had  come,  and  the  travelers  were  momentarily  ex- 
pecting to  come  in  sight  of  the  monastery,  when 
one  of  the  escort,  turning  in  his  peaked  saddle 
towards  the  Professor,  pointed  with  his  lance  to 
something  a  short  distance  ahead.  It  was  a 
huge  monolith,  one  face  of  which  had  been 
chiseled  smooth  and  some  strangely-shaped 
characters  of  gigantic  size  engraved  on  it.  On 
reaching  the  rock  the  Beni  Azaleh  all  sprung 
from  their  mares,  and  each  man  touched  the  rock 
and  then  his  forehead,  exclaiming  aloud,  "  In  the 
name  of  God  !  "  ^  "^-   -^ 

Meanwhile  Professor  Payne  was  gazing  through 
his  spectacles  at  the  strange  inscription  with  the 
keenest  interest. 

*'  What  can  it  be  ?  **  he  mused,  aloud.  "  It  is 
certainly  not  an  Arab  tribe-mark.  No  Bedawi 
would  take  the  trouble  to  engrave  a  mark  of  such 
size  so  high  up  the  face  of  the  rock.  It  is  cer- 
tainly writing  of  some  sort,  though  the  characters 
are  not  like  those  of  any  ancient  language  with 
which  I  am  acquainted.  Gentlemen  ! — my  dear! 
this  seems  to  me  a  most  important  discovery !  " 

"They  look  to  me  something  like  Hebrew, 
though  I  can't  say  I  know  a  word  of  that  lan- 
guage," remarked  Aylward,  indifferently. 

"  No,  sir,  they  are  not  Hebrew  characters,"  re- 
turned the  Professor,  with  something  of  gentle 
contempt  in  his  voice.     "  The  inscription  is  cer- 


Prisoners^  227 

tainly  not  in  any  ancient  Eastern  language 
of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.  What  if  it 
should  prove  to  be  a  fragment  of  a  lost  language 
of  Canaan,  written  before  Israel  entered  the 
Promised  Land  !  I  have  never  met  with  any- 
thing more  interesting  in  all  my  travels !  " 

Hastily  drawing  out  his  note-book,  the  excited 
old  savant  began  to  copy  the  characters  on  the 
rock,  every  line  of  which  was  deeply  and  sharply 
cut.  The  Arabs,  who  had  not  mounted  again, 
stood  looking  on,  showing  no  impatience. 

"  Mr.  Aylward,  look  at  that  curious  fissure  in 
the  cliff!  "  exclaimed  Isha,  suddenly. 

Aylward  had  dismounted,  and  was  talking  to 
Yorke,  who  sat  bent  with  pain  on  his  donkey. 
On  hearing  the  girl's  remark  he  turned,  and 
looked  in  the  direction  she  indicated.  Behind 
the  inscribed  monolith,  and  hidden  by  it,  was  a 
narrow  rift  in  the  face  of  the  cliff,  extending  from 
the  top  of  it  to  its  base  and  fully  five  hundred 
feet  deep.  It  was  only  four  or  five  yards  wide, 
and  the  entrance  was  partly  blocked  by  a  pile  of 
stones  that  had  fallen  from  above. 

"  It  looks  as  if  the  cliff  had  been  riven  by  an 
earthquake,"  observed  Aylward. 

"Do  you  know,  I  think  that  the  inscription 
which  father  is  copying  must  refer  to  that  fis- 
sure." 

"  I  think  it  must  be  the  way  to  the  valley 
where  Lot's  Wife  is  supposed  to  be  hidden,"  re- 


228  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

marked  Yorke  slowly,  looking  up  at  the  great  rift 
with  lack-lustre  eyes. 

'•  Oh,  Mr.  Yorke,  do  you  really  think  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  Noel ! "  exclaimed  Aylward. 
"You  surely  don't  believe  in  that  monkish 
fable?" 

Professor  Payne,  who  had  been  carefully  copy- 
ing the  inscription  on  the  rock,  and  had  been  too 
engrossed  in  the  work  to  hear  the  remarks  of  his 
companions,  turned  round  at  this  moment. 

"  The  characters  are  not  unlike  the  cuneiform 
Assyrian  writings,  but  I  cannot  identify  a  single 
letter  of  them,"  he  said,  with  chagrin  in  his  face. 

"  Father,  dear,  look  behind  the  rock ! "  said 
Isha. 

The  old  savant  stepped  one  side,  and  gazed  at 
the  extraordinary  cliif  fissure  above  him  for  some 
time  in  silence.  It  was  evident  that  he  was 
deeply  impressed  by  it,  and  that  the  sight  of  it 
had  suggested  something  almost  incredible  to 
his  mind. 

"  I  begin  to  understand — yes,  it  must  be  so," 
he  said  at  length,  turning  to  the  rest  of  the  party, 
his  eyes  glittering  with  excitement  behind  his 
spectacles.  ''  This  is,  without  doubt,  the  Pass  of 
Many  Voices,  a  narrow  way,  dark  and  dangerous, 
leading  to  the  Valley  of  Madness,  where  God 
placed  the  Pillar  of  Salt,  according  to  the  ancient 
scroll  in  the  library  of  the  Monastery  of  St.  Lot." 

"Oh,  father,  perhaps  this  inscription  was  cut 


Prisoners*  229 

by  the  monks,  and  is  intended  as  a  warning  to 
people  not  to  approach  the  spot ! " 

"  It  was  certainly  not  cut  by  them,  my  dear ; 
for  they  would  have  written  it  in  Greek  or  Arabic, 
or  some  other  known  language.  But  I  daresay 
it  is  a  warning  of  some  sort." 

"Ask  the  fellows,  Professor,  whether  it  was 
down  this  passage  that  their  late  sheikh  rode  in 
search  of  his  lost  son,"  said  Yorke,  in  a  faint 
voice. 

The  old  savant  did  as  the  artist  had  suggested. 
The  Beni  Azaleh  looked  surprised  at  the  ques- 
tion, and  glanced  at  each  other,  but  none  of 
them  replied  to  it.  After  a  few  moments'  silence 
El  Wahsh,  pointing  with  his  lance  to  the  rift  in 
the  cliff,  said  something  in  a  harsh,  peremptory 
voice.  When  he  had  spoken,  the  Professor  stared 
at  him  in  surprise,  a  look  of  dismay  passed  over 
Isha's  face,  and  Yorke  raised  his  drooping  head 
quickly. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  demanded  Aylward, 
on  seeing  these  signs  of  agitation  among  his  com- 
panions. 

"  The  man  says  that  our  way  lies  along  the 
bottom  of  that  rift,  and  that  they  cannot  come 
any  further  with  us  !  "  explained  the  Professor. 

There  was  horrified  silence  for  some  moments, 
and  then  Aylward  ejaculated, — 

"  They  can't  mean  that  !  You  must  have  mis- 
understood the  fellow  1  " 


230  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

"  No,  sir,  that  is  what  he  said,"  returned  the 
old  savant  mildly.  Ayhvard  burst  into  a  tower- 
ing rage. 

"  Tell  the  scoundrels  that  we  will  not  enter  the 
passage,"  he  cried,  angrily.  ''  For  all  we  know,  it 
may  be  a  death-trap  they  have  prepared  for  us. 
They  must  take  us  to  the  monastery,  which  can- 
not be  far  off,  or  conduct  us  to  Mar  Saba." 

Professor  Payne  conveyed  to  the  black  leader 
of  the  escort  what  Aylward  had  said.  The  fel- 
low scowled,  and  growled  out  in  reply  some 
words  which  made  Isha  turn  pale. 

"  He  says  that  if  we  do  not  at  once  enter  the 
path  leading  into  the  cliff,  they  will  drive  us  into 
it  with  their  lances,"  said  the  Professor,  quietly. 

On  hearing  this  Aylward  stormed  and  threat- 
ened, but  without  producing  any  effect  on  the 
Beni  Azaleh  but  black  looks  and  significant 
shakes  of  their  long  lances.  He  soon  saw  that 
all  opposition  and  expostulation  were  useless, 
that  they  were  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
Arabs,  and  that  continued  refusal  to  do  their  bid- 
ding was  only  to  endanger  their  own  lives. 

Professor  Payne  meanwhile  expostulated  with 
El  Wahsh,  pointing  out  that  one  of  the  party 
was  wounded  and  ill,  that  they  had  no  servants 
or  tents  and  but  little  food  and  water,  and  that 
if  they  went  on  without  guides  they  would  prob- 
ably lose  themselves  among  the  wadis,  and  die  of 
hunger   and    thirst.     His  intimate  acquaintance 


Prisoners^  23 1 

with  Bedawin  customs  enabled  him  to  appeal  to 
their  peculiar  ideas  of  honor  so  strongly,  that 
several  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  seemed  much  dis- 
turbed, and  glanced  uneasily  at  each  other. 
Their  negro  leader,  however,  remained  unmoved. 
His  hideous  features  wore  a  look  of  brutal  de- 
termination, and  he  took  no  notice  of  the  old 
savant's  remonstrances. 

''  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  give  in.  Professor  ; 
I  see  the  brutes  mean  mischief,"  said  Aylward 
bitterly,  seeing  what  little  effect  their  expostula- 
tions had  produced.  "  You  had  better  tell  them 
that  we  will  obey  their  orders,  confound  them ! 
We  will  go  down  the  path  till  we  are  out  of  sight 
and  hearing  of  them,  and  encamp  for  the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  we  will  turn  back  and  make 
the  best  of  our  way  to  the  monastery." 

Professor  Payne  informed  El  Wahsh  that  they 
were  ready  to  enter  the  path  he  had  pointed  out. 
The  negro  nodded,  and  said  something  which 
the  Professor  translated  to  Aylward. 

"  He  says  we  must  start  at  once  while  the  sun 
is  high,  that  otherwise  we  shall  not  be  able  to  see 
our  way.  He  also  says  that  he  and  his  men  will 
remain  here  some  days,  and  that  should  we 
attempt  to  turn  back  we  shall  be  put  to  death ! " 

Aylward  muttered  something  between  his 
teeth,  and  then  said, — 

"Ask  the  black  brute  where  the  path  leads 
to." 


232  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife, 

The  Professor  put  the  question  to  El  Wahsh, 
who,  however,  made  no  reply. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  of  no  use  asking  the  scoun- 
drels anything,"  growled  Aylward,  seeing  that  the 
negro  had  not  replied  to  the  Professor's  ques- 
tion. "  We  must  trust  to  finding  a  way  through 
or  over  the  mountains  at  the  end  of  this  mysteri- 
ous path,  I  only  hope  it  won't  prove  to  be  a 
cul  de  sac  !  " 

No  preparations  were  needed,  and  they  started 
at  once.  Aylward  led  the  way,  riding,  and  lead- 
ing the  provision  donkey  by  the  bridle.  Isha 
followed  him  on  her  donkey,  and  then  Yorke 
clinging  to  his  saddle,  and  Professor  Payne 
brought  up  the  rear,  leading  the  donkey  with  the 
water-skins.  The  horses  and  donkeys  scrambled 
over  the  debris  at  the  entrance,  and  the  party 
found  themselves  in  a  narrow  gorge  that  seemed 
to  lead  straight  into  the  mountains.  When  they 
had  gone  some  fifty  paces,  Isha  exclaimed, — 

"  I'm  afraid  you  will  think  it  silly  of  me,  Mr. 
Aylward,  but  I  have  a  strong  presentiment  that 
we  are  going  to  see  something  wonderful." 


CHAPTER  XV* 

The  Valley  of  Madness* 

For  a  short  distance  the  path  at  the  bottom 
of  the  gorge  was  almost  level,  but  some  two 
hundred  paces  from  the  entrance  it  began  to 
descend.  In  some  places  the  great  cliff-fissure 
opened  to  a  width  of  fifty  feet  or  more,  in  others 
it  was  so  narrow  that  its  two  sides  could  be 
touched  with  the  outstretched  arms.  The  rock- 
walls  rose  perpendicularly  several  hundred  feet  on 
either  side,  overhanging  threateningly,  or  ap- 
proaching each  other  so  closely  as  almost  to 
meet,  so  that  no  sky  was  visible  above.  The 
path  was  so  choked  with  boulders  and  jagged 
rocks,  that  Aylward,  Professor  Payne,  and  his 
daughter  soon  found  that  it  was  easier  to  walk 
and  to  lead  their  steeds  than  to  ride.  Yorke, 
however,  being  unable  to  walk,  did  not  dismount 
and  his  donkey  went  stumbling  down  the  stone- 
strewn   path,  shaking  the  wounded  man   griev- 


234  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

ously,  and  causing  him  intense  pain.  As  they 
could  only  proceed  in  single  file,  Aylward  and 
the  Professor  drove  the  baggage-donkeys  before 
them,  leading  their  own  horses.  Isha  was  de- 
lighted to  dismount  from  her  riding-donkey,  and 
trudged  along  bravely,  dragging  the  unwilling 
beast  behind  her. 

It  was  with  infinite  difficulty  and  labor  that 
the  travelers  made  their  way  down  the  ever-de- 
scending ravine,  and  their  progress  was  very 
slow.  At  times  they  could  scarcely  see  the  path, 
as  the  sunlight  did  not  penetrate  to  the  bottom 
of  the  deep  canyon  along  which  they  were  crawl- 
ing. It  was  toilsome  work  to  scramble  over  the 
heaps  of  rock  and  loose  earth,  and  to  squeeze 
past  the  great  boulders  that  barred  their  passage 
every  few  yards.  The  turnings  and  twistings  in 
the  path  were  endless.  Several  times  they 
passed  under  tunnels  formed  by  the  fall  of  great 
rocks  from  above,  which  had  stuck  in  the  narrow 
gorge  without  reaching  the  bottom. 

The  travelers  soon  understood  why  the  ravine 
was  called  the  Pass  of  Many  Voices.  Its  acoustic 
properties  were  marvelous.  The  footsteps  of 
their  horses  and  donkeys  were  echoed  and  re- 
echoed till  they  seemed  like  the  hoof-beats  of  a 
squadron  of  cavalry.  The  clattering  of  the  stones 
and  pebbles  displaced  by  the  stumbling  beasts 
in  scrambling  down  the  steep  path  sounded  like 
the  roar  of   a  landslip.     When  Aylward  shouted 


The  Valley  of  Madness,  235 

at  the  baggage-donkey  he  was  driving  before  him, 
the  echoes,  in  tones  of  thunder,  sprang  from  rock- 
wall  to  rock-wall,  till  they  died  away  in  angry  mut- 
terings  in  the  distance.  The  blows  he  gave  the 
obstinate  brute,  though  by  no  means  heavy,  were 
echoed  like  successions  of  pistol-shots.  The  low 
moans  sometimes  wrung  from  Yorke  by  the  torture 
he  suffered  from  the  rough  paces  of  his  donkey 
were  multiplied  and  intensified  till  it  seemed  to  the 
horrified  party  as  if  they  were  listening  to  the 
groaning  of  the  damned  in  torment.  So  instan- 
taneous and  overpowering  was  the  din  that 
followed  the  slightest  sound  that  the  travelers, 
awe-struck,  spoke  to  each  other  only  just  above 
their  breath,  but  even  then,  their  whispers  were 
caught  up  and  repeated  again  and  again,  till  the 
whole  gloomy  defile  seemed  filled  with  voices. 
They  could  hear  the  talking  of  the  Beni  Azaleh, 
who  had  apparently  followed  them  a  little  way 
into  the  mouth  of  the  gorge,  as  distinctly  as  if 
they  were  standing  beside  them,  though  the  two 
parties  were  by  that  time  a  considerable  distance 
apart. 

Another  thing  which  was  noticed  with  dismay 
and  apprehension  by  the  travelers  was  the  fact 
that,  as  they  descended  the  gorge  the  air  grew 
hotter  and  hotter  every  minute.  Secluded  as 
the  bottom  of  the  pass  was  from  the  sun's  rays, 
and  out  of  reach  of  the  hot  wind,  it  should  have 
been  cooler  there  than  on  the  bare  burning  hills 


236  The  Findingf  of  Lot's  Wife* 

above,  but  was,  nevertheless,  infinitely  hotter. 
The  heated  air  did  not  seem  to  be  rising  from 
the  depths  below,  but  was  as  motionless  as  in  the 
interior  of  a  closed  oven.  The  temperature  was 
almost  high  enough  to  warrant  the  travelers  in 
believing  that  they  were  descending  a  volcanic 
shaft.  Professor  Payne  touched  the  sides  of  the 
ravine,  and,  finding  the  rock  to  be  not  abnormally 
hot,  was  satisfied  from  that  circumstance,  and  for 
other  reasons,  that  the  great  heat  was  not  due  to 
seismic  agency.  He  said  nothing,  but  trudged 
on,  glancing  round  from  time  to  time,  hoping  to 
see  inscriptions  on  the  rocks  around.  Yorke  rode 
in  front  of  him,  his  pallor  showing,  in  spite  of  his 
stoical  silence,  what  pain  he  was  enduring,  and 
Isha  toiled  behind  him  uncomplainingly,  her  fair 
face  flushed  and  her  parched  lips  apart.  Pres- 
ently, Aylward,  who,  was  leading,  turned  and, 
wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  face,  said, — 

"  Have  you  noticed  how  hot  it  is  getting  as  we 
go  down,  Professor?  If  it  gets  any  worse  I  shall 
begin  to  think  we  are  descending  into  the  infer- 
nal regions  !  ** 

The  echoes  instantly  caught  up  and  repeated 
his  last  words,  and  cries  of  *'  'fernal  regions ! 
'fernal  regions ! "  rose  on  all  sides,  as  if  troops  of 
gnomes  were  mocking  them. 

As  Aylward  spoke  he  glanced  towards  Yorke, 
and  saw  him,  livid  to  the  lips  and  with  closed 
eyes,  swaying  in  his  saddle.     He  at  once  sprang 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  237  ^ 

to  his  friend's  assistance,  and  caught  him  in  his 
arms  as  he  fell  forward  in  a  swoon.  The  pain  of 
his  wound,  the  long  ride,  the  want  of  food,  and 
the  intense  heat  had  at  last  conquered  the  artist's 
dogged  determination  not  to  give  in  to  the  faint- 
ness  he  had  felt  coming  on  him.  Aylward  laid 
him  down  with  his  head  on  an  extemporized  pil- 
low which  Isha  hastily  contrived,  and,  drawing 
some  water  from  a  skin  carried  by  one  of  the 
baggage-donkeys,  dashed  it  on  the  unconscious 
man's  face.  In  a  few  minutes  he  recovered  and 
sat  up,  but  was  so  evidently  unfit  to  go  on,  that, 
anxious  as  they  all  were  to  get  out  of  the  gorge 
into  the  open  air,  they  determined  to  rest  and  re- 
fresh themselves  before  continuing  the  descent. 
They  ate  a  few  dates,  which  they  found  to  be  the 
only  food  that  the  Beni  Azaleh  had  provided  for 
them,  and  drank  thirstily  of  the  dirty,  mawkish 
water  in  the  skins.  After  an  hour's  much  needed 
rest  they  resumed  their  journey.  Yorke  was 
lifted  on  to  his  donkey  by  Aylward,  who  walked 
beside  him,  supporting  him,  while  the  Professor, 
aided  by  Isha,  drove  the  other  horses  and  don- 
keys before  them. 

Their  progress  was  now  even  slower  than  be- 
fore. The  gorge  grew  so  dark  that  they  had 
almost  to  feel  their  way,  and  the  piles  of  rock- 
debris  that  obstructed  the  path  seemed  at  times 
to  make  all  further  advance  impossible.  The 
heat,  too,  increased  so  much  that  the  horses  and 


238  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife 

donkeys  began  to  hang  out  their  tongues  and  to 
show  signs  of  distress,  while  the  four  travelers 
gasped  at  every  step,  and  staggered  on,  half- 
blinded  by  the  perspiration  which  streamed  into 
their  eyes.  They  were  beginning  to  fear  suffoca- 
tion, when  Aylward  suddenly  gave  a  shout,  which 
was  repeated  like  claps  of  thunder  by  the  echoes. 

"Look,  Professor!'*  he  exclaimed,  ''there  is 
light  ahead  !  We  shall  be  out  of  this  awful  place 
soon.  Another  hour  of  it  would  be  our  death." 
The  echoes  shouted  threateningly.  ''  Death  ! 
death  ! " 

"  I  pray  God  we  may  find  open  country  when 
we  emerge  from  this  extraordinary  ravine.  We 
must  find  some  other  way  out  of  the  mountains. 
By  this  path  we  can  never  go  back,"  replied  the 
old  man  in  gasps.  The  echoes  took  up  his  last 
words,  and  cried  exultingly,  "  Never  go  back ! 
never  go  back  !  " 

The  light  in  front  of  them  grew  stronger  every 
minute,  and  at  length  the  exhausted  travelers 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  frightful  gorge  along 
which  they  had  been  traveling  for  some  six 
hours.  Aylward  helped  Yorke  off  his  donkey, 
and  all  the  travelers  threw  themselves  panting 
on  the  ground,  too  worn  out  by  the  heat  and 
fatigue  even  to  glance  round  to  see  in  what 
kind  of  country  they  had  arrived.  They  lay  mo- 
tionless for  a  long  time  with  eyes  closed  and 
mouths  open,  inhaling  in  gasps  the  hot  air.     Isha 


I 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  239 

had  turned  very  pale,  and  both  she  and  Yorke 
looked  more  like  corpses  than  living  persons,  the 
only  evidence  of  life  they  exhibited  being  their 
faint  breathing.  Professor  Payne  was  the^first  to 
stir.  He  sat  up,  and  after  carefully  wiping  his 
glasses,  which  were  dimmed  with  perspiration, 
looked  round  him  anxiously.  Aylward  just  then 
opened  his  eyes,  and  rising  stiffly  to  his  feet  also 
gazed  at  the  scene  before  them.  Neither  of  the 
two  men  spoke  for  some  minutes. 

It  was  by  this  time  late  in  the  afternoon ;  but 
the  blazing  sun  was  still  in  the  white  hot  sky. 
Its  rays  were  streaming  over  a  broad  but  much 
broken  up  valley,  surrounded  by  lofty  irregular 
cliffs.  The  sunlight  shone  on  the  mighty  rock- 
rampart  along  the  eastern  side  revealing  immense 
fissures  and  huge  inaccessible  caverns  in  its  face. 
The  other  side  was  a  dark  wall,  a  thousand  feet 
high,  throwing  deep  black  shadows  over  the 
plain.  Above  the  cliffs  rose  mountain  ranges, 
their  crests  worn  into  many  fantastic  shapes.  At 
the  far  end  of  the  valley  stood  a  huge  cliff  of 
black  basalt,  apparently  sloping  outwards  over 
its  base,  its  square  summit  looking  like  some 
gigantic  fortress.  The  cliffs  were  scored  here 
and  there  with  what  looked  like  the  marks  of 
extinct  waterfalls  that  had  been  dry  since  the 
days  of  the  Deluge.  The  bottom  of  the  valley 
was  a  white  waste  of  salt,  in  some  places  as  hard 
as   marble,  and   in   others  as   soft    and  crisp  as 


240  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

snow.  Patches  of  sponge-like  volcanic  cinders 
and  lines  of  black  flints  lay  here  and  there  on  the 
plain.  Contorted  by  earth-heavings,  burnt  and 
eroded  by  a  never-clouded  sun,  fissured  and  fur- 
rowed by  everlasting  drought,  the  scene  was  one 
of  surpassing  desolation. 

**  If  this  is  the  Valley  of  Madness,  I  must  say 
its  appearance  justifies  its  name,"  observed  Ayl- 
ward  at  length,  panting  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  have  never  looked  on  a  scene  of  such  grim 
grandeur.  It  is  truly  an  '  abomination  of  desola- 
tion,* "  replied  the  old  savant,  with  dry  lips. 

"  Have  you  the  least  idea  where  we  are,  Pro- 
fessor! " 

"  I  cannot  say  that  I  have,  sir.  All  I  am  sure 
of  is  that  we  must  be  now  two  thousand  feet 
at  least  below  the  level  of  the  sea." 

"  I  thought  as  much  from  the  time  it  took  us 
to  come  down  that  awful  pass.  It  is  a  bit  start- 
ling, though,  to  realize  that  the  top  of  that  tre- 
mendous rock  in  the  distance  is  only  about 
sea-level.  The  fact  that  we  are  so  much  below 
the  surface  accounts,  of  course,  for  this  perfectly 
awful  heat.  What  do  you  suppose  the  ther- 
mometer would  stand  at  here  ?  " 

"  A  hundred  and  twenty  degrees  in  the  shade, 
at  the  least." 

"  If  we  are  so  deep  down,  thero  ought  to  be  a 
lake  in  this  valley,  if  only  a  salt  one  like  the 
Dead  Sea." 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  241 

"Not  necessarily,  sir,  I  should  judge  this  to  be 
an  almost  rainless  region.  What  little  rain  fell 
would  be  at  once  evaporated." 

"  It  will  be  a  poor  look-out  for  us  if  we  do  not 
find  water  soon  or  a  way  out  of  the  valley.  The 
water  in  the  skins  will  only  last  us  a  few  hours 
more." 

"  As  soon  as  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  cliffs  we 
must  search  for  water,  looking  for  springs  at  the 
heads  of  the  wadis  or  for  rain-water  in  the  clefts 
of  the  rocks,"  replied  Professor  Payne.  "  If  we 
find  none  by  midnight,  which,  I  fear,  is  but  too 
probable,  we  must  at  once  seek  a  path  up  the 
cliffs." 

"  It  will  be  awful  work  riding  about  this  red- 
hot  valley,  even  at  night,"  groaned  Aylward. 

"  The  air  is  evidently  very  dry  here,  and  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  as  soon  as  the  sun  goes 
down  the  radiation  of  heat  will  be  very  rapid,  in 
which  case  the  night  will  probably  be  extremely 
cold,"  said  the  Professor. 

"  All  the  better ;  anything  is  better  than  this 
unbearable  heat,"  returned  Aylward. 

The  two  men  then  turned  their  attention  to 
their  companions.  Aylward  bathed  his  friend's 
face  with  water,  and  Professor  Payne  did  the 
same  for  his  daughter.  In  a  few  minutes  Yorke 
and  Isha  were  suflficiently  recovered  to  sit  up. 
They  were  not  able  to  do  more  than  sip  the  tepid 
fluid  which  Aylward  served  out,  and  could  not 


242  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

touch  the  dry  dates  which  he  urged  them  to  eat. 
He  and  Professor  Payne  munched  a  few,  more 
from  a  conviction  that  they  ought  to  fortify 
themselves  against  any  privations  which  they 
might  be  called  upon  to  endure,  than  because 
they  had  any  appetite. 

As  soon  as  the  shadows  of  the  cliffs  covered 
the  plain,  the  travelers  left  the  mouth  of  the 
terrible  pass  down  which  they  had  come,  and 
began  the  search  for  water.  They  mounted 
their  horses  and  donkeys,  for  they  were'  too 
fatigued  to  walk.  Before  they  started,  Aylward 
gave  each  of  the  evidently  suffering  animals  a 
small  quantity  of  water,  which  act  of  humanity 
seriously  diminished  their  stock  of  the  precious 
fluid. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  there  were  no  human 
beings  living  in  that  desolate  valley.  There  were 
no  signs  to  indicate  that  any  living  things  had 
ever  drawn  breath  there  before.  No  birds  flew 
overhead,  and  no  earth-creatures,  not  even  reptiles 
of  the  lowest  form,  showed  themselves.  There 
was  not  a  tree,  or  a  bush,  or  a  blade  of  grass  to 
be  seen  anywhere.  No  streams  or  pools  were 
visible,  or  even  any  dry  depressions  on  the  sur- 
face showing  signs  that  water  had  once  stood 
there.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  was  stirring.  Deep 
silence  reigned  through  the  valley ;  even  the 
echoes  seemed  to  be  dead. 

The  travelers  rode  along  the  western  side  of 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  243 

the  valley.  Though  they  were  in  the  shadow  of 
the  cliffs,  the  heat  was  still  very  great.  They 
could  feel  it  radiating  from  the  white  marble-like 
surface  of  the  plain,  making  their  faces  burn. 
Professor  Payne,  who  had  been  looking  about 
for  signs  of  water,  in  which,  from  long  experience 
of  desert-traveling,  he  had  become  an  adept, 
happened  to  glance  down,  and  at  once  uttered  an 
exclamation.  They  had  just  come  on  a  stretch 
of  white  crisp  salt,  and  going  across  it,  all  in  one 
direction,  were  a  great  number  of  footprints. 

"  Look,  Mr.  Aylward,"  he  exclaimed,  dismount- 
ing from  his  horse  hastily,  "  here  is  a  strange 
thing  indeed !  " 

"  The  track  of  a  caravan,  by  all  that's  marvel- 
ous ! "  ejaculated  Aylward,  amazed  at  this  very 
unexpected  sight. 

Professor  Payne,  bending  over  the  footprints, 
examined  them  through  his  spectacles  with  in- 
tense interest.  So  absorbed  was  he  in  scrutiniz- 
ing them  that  he  did  not  hear  Aylward's  question, 
twice  repeated,  asking  whether  he  was  able  to 
make  out  whose  they  were.  At  length  he  raised 
himself  with  a  look  of  wonder  on  his  face  that 
was  solemn  in  its  intensity. 

"  I  can  scarcely  credit  it — it  is  almost  too  mar- 
velous for  belief  !  Yet  they  cannot  be  anything 
else,"  he  exclaimed  aloud,  but  addressing  himself. 
"  I  thank  God  that  it  has  been  permitted  to  me 
to  see  so  wonderful  a  thing ! " 


244  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

"What  is  it,  Professor?"  asked  Ay  1  ward  in 
surprise,  while  Isha  added  in  a  tired  voice,  **  Have 
you  discovered  anything,  father  dear?" 

''Yes,  indeed  I  have,  my  dear,"  replied  her 
father.  "  Mr.  Aylward — Mr.  Yorke — my  dear," 
he  continued,  turning  to  each,  "  you  see  before 
you,  on  that  soft  salt  soil,  the  footprints  of  men 
who  have  been  dead  many  hundreds  of  years." 

Aylward  stared  at  the  old  man,  too  surprised  to 
be  able  to  make  any  remark.  Yorke  gazed  at  the 
mysterious  footprints  with  expressionless  eyes, 
while  Isha,  seeing  how  pleased  and  excited  her 
father  was,  smiled  a  wan  smile  of  loving  sym- 
pathy. 

"  Dismount,  sir,  and  tell  me  what  you  make  of 
them,"  said  the  Professor  to  Aylward,  whereupon 
the  young  man  alighted  and  examined  the  marks 
in  the  salt  with  a  puzzled  air. 

"They  are  queer-looking  footprints,  I  must 
say,"  he  remarked. 

"  You  may  think  me  demented,  sir,  but  I  am 
quite  convinced  that  these  marks  were  made  hun- 
dreds of  years  ago,  probably  by  men  who,  like 
ourselves,  had  accidentally  found  their  way  into 
this  wonderful  valley,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  These,"  he  continued,  pointing  to  a  series  of 
club-footed  marks,  "  are  doubtless  the  footprints 
of  one  of  that  misguided  class  of  eremities  which 
flourished  in  the  ninth  century,  who  cut  off  their 
fingers  and  toes  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  God, 


The  Valley  of  Madness*  245 

poor  creatures;  and  these,  I  am  sure,  are  the  foot- 
prints of  some  mail-clad  crusader,  and  these  again 
were  made,  I  doubt  not,  by  the  caligae  of  Roman 
soldiers.  Here  are  the  footprints  of  the  sandals, 
slippers  and  naked  feet  of  men  of  many  nations, 
some  of  which  were  made,  it  may  be,  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  and  others  but  a  few  hundred 
years  back.  Nevertheless,  they  look  as  if  they 
had  been  made  but  yesterday.  It  is  truly  mar- 
velous ! "  The  old  savant's  face  beamed  with 
pleasure  as  he  spoke. 

"  But  how  is  it  that  these  marks  have  not  dis- 
appeared centuries  ago?"  asked  Aylward,  with 
an  incredulous  smile. 

*'  Because  the  ordinary  effacing  agencies  of 
nature  are  absent  here.  Apparently  no  rain 
ever  falls,  the  air  is  perfectly  still,  and  does  not, 
I  fancy,  contain  a  particle  of  moisture.  There 
are  no  animals  to  trample  on  the  marks,  or  in- 
sects to  burrow  under  them.  It  may  seem  to 
you,  sir,  absurd,  but  I  firmly  believe  that  our  own 
footprints  that  we  are  now  making  will,  if  undis- 
turbed by  human  beings,  remain  distinct  and 
recognizable  till  the  crack  of  doom  or  till  some 
change  takes  place  in  the  climate  here." 

"  By  Jove,  there  are  the  marks  of  a  horse's 
hoofs!"  exclaimed  Aylward,  looking  down  on 
the  stream  of  footprints.  '*  They  must  be  those 
of  the  old  sheikh's  mare,  when  he  descended  into 
the  valley  in  search  of  his  son.     There  can  be  no 


246  The  Fmdm§f  of  Lot's  "Wife* 

doubt  now  of  the  truth  of  the  story  that  girl 
told  you,  Noel." 

"  I  never  doubted  it,  Hal,"  returned  the  artist, 
faintly. 

"  Where  were  all  these  people  going,  father?  " 
asked  Isha. 

"  That  we  have  yet  to  learn,  my  dear.  It  is  a 
strange  circumstance  that  the  footprints  all  point 
one  way.  Not  one  of  these  ancient  wayfarers 
ever  turned  back,"  replied  her  father  solemnly,  as 
he  remounted  his  horse. 

The  travelers  resumed  their  march,  following 
the  broad  trail  of  footprints.  By  this  time  dark- 
ness had  begun  to  descend  over  the  valley,  and 
as  Professor  Payne  had  predicted,  the  tempera- 
ture began  to  fall  rapidly.  When  the  moon  rose, 
which  was  about  two  hours  after  sunset,  the  air  was 
so  cold  that  the  travelers  were  glad  to  wrap  them- 
selves in  blankets  which  formed  part  of  the  load 
which  was  carried  by  one  of  the  baggage-donkeys. 

Just  after  sunset  the  party  witnessed  a  strange 
phenomenon.  A  blaze  of  light  suddenly  ap- 
peared on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley  and 
floated  along  the  base  of  the  cliff  southward.  It 
seemed  like  a  gigantic  will-o'-the-wisp  and  its 
weird  light  illuminated  brightly  the  rock-wall 
above,  shining  into  the  dark  caverns  and  glancing 
over  the  great  rocks  and  boulders  at  the  foot  of 
the  cliffs.  The  travelers  halted  and  gazed  at  the 
extraordinary  spectacle. 


The  Valley  of  Madness,  247 

"  What  is  it,  Professor?  "  asked  Aylward,  much 
impressed. 

"  It  is  no  doubt  caused  by  electricity  produced 
by  the  extreme  dryness  of  the  air.  I  have  seen 
something  like  it  before  in  the  Nefood  desert,  but 
on  a  smaller  scale,"  replied  the  old  savant,  gaz- 
ing at  the  mysterious  light  with  much  interest. 
The  phenomenon  was  repeated  at  least  a  dozen 
times  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  night. 

The  travelers  followed  the  track  of  human 
footprints  till  they  lost  it  on  hard  ground  about 
half-a-mile  beyond  the  spot  where  they  had  come 
on  it.  They  continued  their  ride  till  midnight, 
going  up  the  valley  on  the  western  side.  They 
looked  in  vain  for  any  indications  of  water, 
though  they  examined  every  likely  place  they 
passed  ;  nor  did  they  see  any  opening  in  the  cliffs 
up  which  a  path  might  be  found  out  of  the  valley. 

The  moonlight  was  so  clear  and  was  so  brightly 
reflected  by  the  white  salt  plain  that  everything 
could  be  seen  almost  as  distinctly  as  by  day. 

It  now  became  evident  that  the  whole  party, 
including  the  horses  and  donkeys,  were  utterly 
worn  out.  Yorke  sat  his  donkey  in  a  sort  of 
stupor  of  exhaustion,  and  Isha  rode  half  asleep, 
in  momentary  danger  of  falling  off.  The  ne- 
cessity for  keeping  a  sharp  look-out  for  water  and 
for  some  outlet  from  the  valley  had  sustained 
Professor  Payne  and  Aylward,  but  they  both  felt 
now  that  they  could  not  go  any  further.     The 


248  The  Findingf  of  Lot's  Wife* 

horses  and  donkeys,  with  hanging  heads  and  lol- 
ling tongues,  crawled  along  rather  than  walked. 

About  midnight  one  of  the  baggage-donkeys 
lay  down  and  its  example  was  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  its  fellow.  The  donkey  staggering 
under  Yorke  showed  signs  of  being  unable  to 
keep  its  feet  much  longer.  They  were  at  the 
time  close  to  a  deep,  low-mouthed  cavern  at  the 
foot  of  the  western  cliffs,  and  decided  to  stay 
there  for  the  night.  Aylward  carried  Yorke  into 
it  and  laid  him  down  at  its  further  end.  Professor 
Payne  and  Isha  dropped  out  of  their  saddles, 
rather  than  dismounted,  and  followed  the  two 
men.  In  a  few  minutes  all  four  were  fast  asleep 
on  the  hard  floor,  wrapped  in  their  blankets. 
They  had  been  too  exhausted  to  unsaddle  or  un- 
pack their  horses  or  donkeys,  or  to  hobble  them, 
and  the  wretched  beasts  had  collapsed  outside, 
and  lay  quivering  and  panting. 

When  the  day 'broke,  Aylward,  rising  with  ach- 
ing limbs,  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and 
looked  out.  He  glanced  to  the  right  and  left 
and  all  round,  and  his  face  assumed  a  look  of  sur- 
prise and  then  of  alarm.  The  horses  and  don- 
keys had  all  disappeared  !  The  thirsty  creatures 
had  no  doubt  wandered  off  in  search  of  water. 
Uttering  an  exclamation,  Aylward  ran  out  a  short 
distance  into  the  plain,  and  looked  up  and  down 
the  dim  valley ;  but  no  animal  was  in  sight. 
Much  disturbed,  he  returned  to  the  cavern  and 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  249 

roused  Professor  Payne,  whose  troubled  face 
showed  his  deep  concern  at  the  news  the  young 
man  bought  him,  though  he  said  nothing.  The 
two  men  hurried  out  into  the  plain,  and  for 
several  hours  wandered  about,  looking  for  the 
strayed  horses  and  donkeys.  The  ground  all 
round  the  spot  where  they  had  stopped  for  the 
night  was  as  hard  as  stone,  and  they  could  not 
find  any  tracks  or  traces  that  afforded  them  any 
clue  as  to  the  direction  the  animals  had  taken. 
They  were  at  length  forced  by  the  intense  heat 
to  return  to  the  cavern  ;  but  did  not  do  so  till 
the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun  had  blistered  their 
faces  and  cracked  their  lips,  and  the  glare  had  in- 
flamed their  eyes  and  half-blinded  them. 

It  was  a  miserable  day  that  the  three  men  and 
their  girl-companion  spent.  Even  in  the  dark 
cavern  the  heat  was  suffocating.  Outside,  the 
whole  plain  glowed  and  radiated  heat  like  a  fur- 
nace. Yorke  lay  unconscious  in  the  furthest 
recess  of  the  cave,  fanned  assiduously  by  Isha 
with  a  folded  handkerchief.  The  girl's  face  was 
drawn  and  white  in  spite  of  the  heat ;  but  she 
suffered  in  silence.  Her  father  and  Aylward, 
their  faces  flushed  brick-red,  lay  on  the  floor  try- 
ing to  sleep,  but  finding  it  impossible  to  do  so, 
from  the  pain  in  their  parched  throats.  Towards 
afternoon  it  became  evident  that  heat-apoplexy 
was  threatening  Professor  Payne,  the  result  of  ex- 
posure to  the  sun  in  the  morning.     He  complained 


2SO  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

of  violent  headache,  and  soon  after  began  to  talk 
in  a  disjointed,  incoherent  fashion,  being  ob- 
viously unconscious  of  what  he  was  saying.  His 
daughter,  leaving  Yorke  to  Aylward's  care,  went 
to  look  after  him,  for  his  condition  terrified  her. 
She  sat  beside  him,  holding  his  hand  and  fanning 
him,  talking  lovingly  to  him  the  while.  As  the 
fiery  heat  of  the  day  began  to  subside  the  Pro- 
fessor grew  less  restless  and  rambling  in  his  talk, 
and  at  length  dropped  off  into  an  uneasy  slumber. 
Isha  herself  dozed,  leaning  against  the  wall  of 
the  cave. 

Late  in  the  evening,  Aylward,  who  had  also  fal- 
len asleep,  heard  his  name  called  in  a  terrified 
voice,  and  waking  with  a  start,  found  Isha  stand- 
ing before  him,  her  face  full  of  consternation. 

*'  Oh,  Mr.  Aylward,  my  father  is  not  here  !  I 
am  afraid  he  has  wandered  away  in  his  delirium, 
while  I  slept." 

Staggering  to  his  feet,  the  young  man  hurried 
to  the  cavern-mouth  and  looked  round.  Dark- 
ness had  begun  to  settle  over  the  still  heated 
plain,  and  he  could  see  nothing  of  the  old  man. 
He  ran  out  into  the  plain  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  and  shouted  hoarsely,  ''  Professor  !  Profes- 
sor ! "  but  no  answer  came  back,  not  even  the 
echo  of  his  own  voice.  After  some  minutes  he 
returned  to  the  cave,  at  the  mouth  of  which  stood 
Isha,  gazing  anxiously  up  and  down  the  valley 
and  listening  intently. 


The  Valley  of  Madness.  251 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Aylward  !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  a  chok- 
ing voice,  "  he  will  lose  himself  among  the  ravines 
and  rocks !   I  must  go  in  search  of  him  at  once !  " 

"  You  must  not  go  by  yourself.  Miss  Payne  ;  I 
will  come  with  you,"  replied  Aylward. 

"  But  we  cannot  leave  poor  Mr.  Yorke  alone ! 
It  would  kill  him  to  awake  and  find  us  all  gone  !  " 

"  I  am  afraid  it  can't  be  helped.  Miss  Payne. 
We  will  make  him  as  comfortable  as  we  can 
before  we  start,  and  hurry  back  as  soon  as  we 
have  found  your  father.  I  do  not  think  he  can 
have  gone  far." 

They  went  into  the  cavern  together,  and  did 
what  they  could  for  Yorke,  moving  the  uncon- 
scious man  into  a  more  comfortable  position  and 
rearranging  the  extemporary  pillow  on  which  his 
head  lay.  Aylward  tore  a  leaf  out  of  his  note- 
book, and  writing  a  few  lines  on  it,  explaining 
what  had  happened,  put  it  on  the  floor  near  the 
artist,  with  a  stone  on  it.  He  and  Isha  then  left 
the  cave  to  look  for  the  Professor.  The  golden 
glare  of  sunset  had  died  out  of  the  sky ;  but  the 
brilliant  starlight  enabled  the  young  man  and  his 
companion  to  see  their  way  without  difficulty. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Ay^a's  Devotion. 

Soon  after  midnight,  Yorke  was  awakened  by 
the  cold,  from  the  fever  trance  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  The  rest  had  eased  his  wound,  which  was 
now  less  painful,  and  the  fever  had  left  him.  He 
felt  extremely  weak,  but  his  head  was  clear,  and 
he  lay  for  a  few  minutes  thinking  of  all  that  had 
befallen  him  and  his  friends  during  the  last  few 
days.  Soon  he  became  conscious  of  a  raging 
thirst.  The  terrible  heat  of  the  past  day  and  the 
fever  between  them  seemed  to  have  evaporated 
all  the  moisture  of  his  body.  He  turned  slowly 
on  the  blanket  on  which  he  lay,  and  tried  to  say, 
"Some  water,  Hal,  for  goodness' sake !  "  but  his 
tongue  felt  like  a  piece  of  leather  in  his  mouth, 
and  his  dry  lips  refused  to  frame  a  word.  He  lay 
still  for  a  moment  and  then  tried  again  to  call 
his  friend  to  him — but  he  only  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing a  ghastly  inarticulate  chuckling  sound.     Not 


Ay^da^s  Devotion^  253 

receiving  any  answer,  he  concluded  that  his  com- 
panions were  all  asleep.  His  intolerable  thirst, 
however,  impelled  him  to  try  again  to  obtain 
relief.  So,  with  an  effort,  he  raised  himself  by 
his  arms,  and  sitting  upright  on  the  floor,  looked 
round  for  the  water-skin. 

It  was  not  till  he  had  sat  for  some  time  gazing 
about  him  that  he  fully  realized  the  startling  fact 
that  he  was  alone.  The  moonlight  was  shining 
brilliantly  into  the  cavern,  every  recess  and  nook 
of  which  was  visible.  Not  only  was  it  certain 
that  there  was  no  one  beside  himself  in  the  cave, 
but  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  it  had  ever 
been  occupied  except  the  three  blankets  lying  on 
the  floor. 

The  shock  of  this  discovery  was  so  great  that 
Yorke  sat  for  a  long  time  in  a  dazed  condition  of 
mind,  trying  to  think  what  could  have  happened. 
It  occurred  to  him  that  his  companions  were 
possibly  camping  at  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  in 
order  to  watch  their  horses  and  donkeys,  and  to 
guard  the  baggage.  Rising  with  much  difficulty, 
he  staggered  out  of  the  cave,  supporting  himself 
by  its  walls.  On  coming  out  he  saw  at  a  glance 
that  his  conjecture  had  been  wrong.  His  friends 
were  not  there,  nor  could  he  see  any  signs  of 
them  or  of  the  animals.  He  knew  that  Aylward 
would  never  leave  him  to  his  fate,  and  terrible 
thoughts  rushed  into  his  mind  as  to  what  might 
have  happened  to  him  and  the  others.     After  a 


254  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  "Wife* 

few  minutes'  reflection  he  resolved  to  go  and 
look  for  them,  though  he  felt  that,  in  the  condi- 
tion he  was,  he  could  not  hope  to  go  far.  He 
first  went  back  into  the  cavern,  and  made  a  short 
search,  thinking  it  possible  that  his  friends  had 
left  some  water  for  his  use,  but  he  did  not  find 
any.  In  his  excitement  and  alarm  he  did  not  see 
the  note  left  for  him  by  Aylward,  which  was 
partly  hidden  by  the  stone  placed  on  it,  and  so 
missed  the  clue  to  the  unaccountable  disappear- 
ance of  his  companions.  Leaving  the  cave  with 
his  blanket  wrapped  round  him,  he  crept  out  on 
the  plain,  staggering  at  every  step  like  a  drunken 
man,  and  groaning  with  the  pain  his  wound  gave 
him. 

About  the  middle  of  the  plain  was  a  patch 
of  snow-like  salt.  Here  York  stopped  exhausted 
and  dropping  to  the  ground  looked  dreamily  about 
him.  The  whole  valley  was  bathed  in  moon- 
light, and  he  could  see  a  great  distance ;  but 
not  a  living-  thing  was  visible.  The  cold  was 
very  great,  but  he  did  not  feel  it.  As  he  lay 
gazing  about  him,  he  heard,  to  his  great  relief, 
a  long  clear  cry,  "  Lul-lu-lu  !  lul-lu-lu !  "  which 
seemed  to  come  from  a  great  rock  that  stood 
alone  in  the  plain  some  two  or  three  hundred 
paces  distant.  He  at  once  recognized  it  to  be 
an  Arab  camel-call,  and  responded,  uttering  a 
feeble,  quavering  "  coo-ey,"  which,  however,  was 
audible  at  a  great  distance  in  the  deathlike  still- 


Ay^da's  Devotion*  255 

ness.  A  moment  later  he  heard  an  answering  cry, 
and  saw  two  dark  objects  appear  from  behind  the 
solitary  rock  and  advance  towards  him.  The 
moonlight  soon  revealed  that  one  of  the  objects 
was  a  camel  stalking  sulkily  along  with  its  head 
down.  It  was  not  till  they  were  close  to  him  that 
the  artist  saw,  with  amazement,  that  the  slender, 
graceful  figure  that  walked  before  the  camel, 
leading  it,  was  that  of  an  Arab  girl  and  that  it 
was  Ayeda. 

On  seeing  him  the  girl  uttered  a  cry  of  joy. 

"  O  my  lord,  thanks  be  to  God,  that  I  have 
found  you  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

It  was  some  moments  before  the  artist  could 
persuade  himself  that  it  was  the  daughter  of  the 
old  sheikh  of  the  Beni  Azaleh  who  stood  before 
him,  and  that  he  was  not  the  victim  of  some 
fever-dream. 

"  Is  that  really  you,  Ayeda  ?  "  he  gasped  out 
at  length. 

**  It  is  indeed  I,  my  lord,"  she  replied  softly, 
smiling  with  pleasure  at  hearing  herself  addressed 
by  name  by  the  young  man. 

"  Have  you  any  water,  Ayeda  ?  I  am  parched 
with  thirst.'* 

'^  I  have  brought  some  for  my  lord,"  she  re- 
turned eagerly ;  and  detaching  a  small  goat-skin 
which  hung  from  the  camel's  neck,  she  put  its 
leathern  mouth  to  Yorke's  lips,  who  drank  greed- 
ily.    The  dirty  tepid  fluid  seemed  to  him  more 


256  The  Findingf  of  Lofs  Wife, 

delicious  than  the  finest  champagne  he  had  ever 
quaffed.  It  gave  him  for  the  moment  strength 
and  hope,  and  his  natural  voice  returned  to  him. 

"  You  have  saved  my  life,  O  bright-eyed  one  !  " 
he  said,  gratefully.  *'  Do  you  know  where  my 
friends  are?"  he  added. 

"  My  lord,  I  know  not.  It  may  be  that  God 
has  punished  them  by  allowing  the  jin  to  carry 
them  off  for  leaving  my  lord  alone  in  the  wadi, 
wounded  and  dying  of  thirst." 

"No,  no,  Ayeda!  They  did  not  leave  me  to 
die.  We  have  somehow  got  separated.  Where 
are  the  rest  of  your  party?  " 

"  My  lord,  there  is  no  one  with  me." 

*'  Did  none  of  your  tribesmen  come  with  you  ?  " 
asked  Yorke,  in  surprise. 

"  No,  my  lord." 

*'  You  ventured  all  alone  into  this  awful  place  ? 
Why  did  you  come,  O  girl  with  a  man's  heart  ?  " 

''  To  look  for  my  lord,"  replied  Ayeda  simply, 
her  eyes  brightening  at  the  young  man's  praise. 

"  But  how  did  you  manage  to  leave  the  camp 
and  to  find  your  way  here  ?  " 

"  My  lord,  when  I  learned  that  the  men  of  my 
tribe  intended  to  take  you  and  your  friends  to 
some  terrible  place  among  the  mountains,  and  to 
leave  you  there  to  perish,  I  came  to  your  tent  in 
the  camp  at  midnight,  and  warned  the  daughter 
of  Abou  Dukhu,  she  who  is  dressed  like  a  man, 
of  the  evil  thing    intended.     Then    I    went   and 


Ayeda's  Devotion*  257 

roused  El  Hakwatieh,  the  fat  one,  also  the  little 
old  Syrian,  the  servants  of  my  lord,  and  told  them 
that  my  people  would  assuredly  cut  their  throats 
after  their  masters  were  gone,  whereupon  they, 
being  terrified,  cried  to  me  to  assist  them  to  escape. 
I  consented,  and  one  hour  before  dawn  we  three 
left  the  camp,  taking  with  us  a  bag  of  dates  and 
a  skin  of  water,  and  made  our  to  the  wadi  that 
descends  to  the  plain.  On  our  way  we  came  on 
this  old  camel,  which  my  people  had  abandoned 
on  account  of  its  age  and  infirmities,  and  secured 
it.  When  daylight  came  we  hid  behind  some 
rocks,  making  the  camel  lie  down.  We  saw  you 
all  come  from  the  camp,  escorted  by  El  Wahsh 
and  the  others,  and  you  rode  past  close  to  where 
we  lay.  We  followed  you  till  you  stopped  at 
the  mouth  of  the  ravine  where  stands  the  great 
Rock  of  Writing.  We  saw  the  men  of  my  tribe 
force  you  all  to  enter  the  dark  passage,  and 
waited  for  them  to  go  away,  that  we  might  follow 
you ;  but  they  remained  there,  in  order,  doubt- 
less, to  prevent  your  return.  All  day  we  lay 
in  concealment,  watching  them.  We  heard  the 
bell  of  the  monastery  twice,  and  knew  therefore 
that  it  was  not  far  distant.  When  the  moon  rose, 
I  proposed  to  the  two  men  with  me  that  we 
should  creep  past  El  Wahsh  and  the  rest,  who 
were  asleep,  and  enter  the  gorge  into  which  you 
had  gone.  But  the  men  were  afraid,  and  leaving 
me  alone,  departed  to  make   their  way  to   the 


258  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

monastery,  after  giving  me  a  portion  of  the  dates 
and  of  the  water.  When  they  were  gone  I,  lead- 
ing the  camel,  advanced  to  where  the  seven  men 
lay,  and,  by  the  favor  of  God,  succeeded  in  pass- 
ing through  them  without  being  seen.  After 
going  a  short  distance  down  the  path,  I  stopped, 
for  the  darkness  was  like  a  wall  before  me,  and 
the  'daughters  of  the  voice'  mocked  the  sound 
of  my  feet  and,  it  seemed  to  me,  even  the  beat- 
ing of  my  heart.  When  daylight  came  I  went 
on,  and  God  guiding  my  steps,  I  entered  this 
valley  and  found  my  lord." 

"  You  have  done  what  few  men  would  have 
dared  to  do.  If  I  live,  you  shall  not  have  cause 
to  complain  of  my  ingratitude,  O  brave  and 
beautiful  one  !  "  said  Yorke,  deeply  touched  by 
the  devoted  girl's  simple  story.  Ay^da  said 
nothing,  but  her  sparkling  eyes  and  smiling  lips 
showed  her  pleasure  at  hearing  the  artist's  words. 

"  Will  not  El  Jezzar,  on  discovering  your 
escape,  follow  you  here  ?  "  asked  Yorke,  after  a 
pause. 

"  No,  my  lord  ;  he  is  dead.  As  I  left  the  camp 
I  heard  the  women  of  his  tent  raising  the  zulghut, 
the  death-cry." 

"But  perhaps  others  of  the  tribe  will  follow 
you?" 

"  No,  my  Lord  ;  it  has  been  settled  by  the 
mullah  and  the  elders  that  as  soon  as  the  Franks 
had  been  got  rid  of,  the  camp  should  be  broken 


Ayeda's  Devotion^  259 

up,  and  the  tribe  return  to  the  Great  Desert. 
The  Beni  Azaleh  are  doubtless  now  on  their  way 
there.  Moreover,  why  should  they  trouble  them- 
selves about  a  girl  who  has  neither  father  nor 
brothers,  nor  any  other  male  kin  left  alive?" 
added  Ay^da,  bitterly. 

The  girl's  voice  had  been  getting  gradually 
fainter,  and  she  spoke  the  last  words  in  a  very 
low  tone.  Yorke  saw  that  she  was  standing  in 
an  attitude  of  weariness,  and  that  her  beautiful 
face  was  drawn  and  thin,  making  the  great  dark 
eyes  look  unnaturally  large. 

"  You  have  done  more  than  what  you  had 
strength  for,  Ay^da !  You  look  as  if  you  can 
scarcely  stand,  and  half  starved,"  he  said,  much 
concerned  at  her  appearance. 

''  It  is  true,  my  lord,  that  I  have  had  little  to 
eat  or  drink  since  I  left  the  camp ;  but  my  lord 
forgets  that  we  children  of  the  desert  are  accus- 
tomed to  fatigue  and  hunger  and  thirst." 

She  did  not  tell  him  how  the  dragoman  and 
the  cook,  unable  to  restrain  themselves,  had  con- 
sumed the  greater  part  of  the  slender  supply  of 
dates  and  water  which  they  had  brought  with 
them,  and  how,  since  they  had  left  her,  she  had 
eaten  and  drunk  scarcely  sufficient  of  the  share 
they  had  given  her  to  support  life,  fearing  that  it 
might  be  wanted  for  the  man  she  had  come  to 
rescue  from  death. 

''  Will   it  please  my  lord  to  mount  the  camel, 


26o  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

and  I  will  lead  it  and  take  you  back  to  the  mon- 
astery, to  be  healed  of  your  wound,"  she  said. 
"  I  cannot  go  without  my  friends,  Ay^da." 
''  My  lord,  to    stay  in   this    wadi    another  day, 
wounded    and    weak    as    you    are,  will    be    your 
death." 

''Then  I  must  die,  Ayeda.  I  cannot  desert 
my  friends." 

"  If  my  lord  wills  it,  I  will  go  in  search  of 
them." 

"  Help  me  up  on  the  camel,  Ayeda,  and  I  will 

"  No,  lord,  you  would  fall  off  from  weakness 
ere  you  had  gone  a  dozen  paces.  It  is  better  I 
should  go.  If  I  do  not  find  them,  I  will  return 
at  daybreak.  My  lord  must  stay  here  till  I 
come." 

So  saying,  Ay^da  climbed  on  to  the  camel's 
back,  and  rode  off.  After  she  had  long  disap- 
peared from  view,  Yorke  could  hear  her  musical 
cry,  "  Lul-lu-lu  !  "  in  the  far  distance.  Refreshed 
by  the  water  he  had  drunk,  he  sat  wrapped  in 
his  blanket,  looking  anxiously  about  him  and 
listening  intently.  But  the  exertion  he  had  just 
made  began  to  tell  on  him  ;  red-hot  pains  began 
to  run  through  his  wounded  limb,  and  his  fever 
returned  strongly.  He  grew  worse  every  minute, 
and  ere  an  hour  had  passed  was  stretched  in  an 
unconscious  state. 

The  day  had  just  begun  to  dawn  when  Ay^da 


Ayeda's  Devotion*  261 

returned.  She  was  so  exhausted  by  her  night's 
wanderings  and  the  want  of  food  and  water,  that 
when  she  slipped  off  the  camel  she  swayed  where 
she  stood,  for  some  moments  unable  to  walk  for 
weakness.  But,  at  length,  mastering  her  faint- 
ness,  she  advanced  to  where  Yorke  lay,  and 
shaking  him  gently  by  the  shoulder,  said,  in  a 
faint,  hollow  voice, — 

''  My  lord,  I  have  not  found  your  friends. 
Arise,  the  day  is  dawning,  and  we  must  leave  the 
wadi  at  once." 

The  artist  did  not  reply,  and  the  girl  saw  that 
he  was  unconscious.  For  some  moments  she 
gazed  at  the  prostrate  figure  despairingly ;  then 
taking  her  camel  by  its  rope  bridle,  she  led  it 
close  to  him.  The  brute  was  very  old  and  thin, 
all  its  ribs  were  visible,  and  its  hump  had  almost 
disappeared.  It  was  very  mangy,  and  what  little 
hair  it  had  was  clotted  with  filth.  Ay6da  or- 
dered it  to  kneel,  whereupon  it  bent  its  swollen 
joints  with  difficulty,  tucked  its  splay  feet  under 
it,  and  lay  down  with  angry  grunts.  As  it  knelt, 
the  vicious  brute  turned  its  wry  neck  and  after 
gazing  malevolently  at  her  with  its  drunken- 
looking  eye,  drew  its  pendulous  lips  over  its 
yellow  fangs,  and  tried  to  bite  her.  She  struck 
it  sharply  on  the  nose,  whereupon  it  roared  in- 
dignantly. Taking  up  the  unconscious  young 
man  in  her  slender  arms,  the  girl,  with  an  effort 
that  made  her  tremble  and  gasp,  laid  him  on  the 


262  The  Findingf  of  Lofs  Wiic. 

camel's  back.  It  had  no  saddle,  but  with  a  long 
rope  which  she  had  brought,  she  contrived  to  tie 
Yorke  securely  on  the  brute's  bare  back,  across 
which  he  lay  like  a  sack.  She  then  made  the 
camel  rise,  and  leading  it  by  its  bridle,  started  up 
the  valley  towards  its  northern  end.  The  old 
camel  could  only  walk  at  a  funeral  pace,  being 
lame,  and  Ay^da  was  so  utterly  worn  out,  that  it 
was  only  with  difficulty  that  she  could  drag  her 
weary  limbs  along. 

They  had  not  gone  half  a  mile  when  the  sun 
rose  over  the  eastern  cliffs,  and  the  burning  hot 
day  began.  The  scorching  rays  streamed  on  the 
back  of  the  unconscious  man  lying  across  the 
camel's  bony  back,  and  Ay^da  saw  that  death 
would  soon  follow  such  exposure.  She  led  the 
camel  to  the  base  of  the  cliffs,  under  the  shadow 
of  which  they  trudged  on  for  another  hour,  by 
which  time  the  valley  was  full  of  blinding  light 
and  the  heat  intense.  Ay^da  knew  that  the 
mouth  of  the  gorge,  for  which  she  was  making, 
could  not  be  far  off ;  but  realized  that  it  would  be 
madness  to  continue  the  journey  during  the  heat 
of  the  day.  She  therefore  led  the  camel  under 
an  overhanging  rock,  which  gave  some  shelter 
from  the  sun,  and  making  the  brute  kneel,  lifted 
Yorke  off  its  back,  and  laid  him  tenderly  on  the 
ground.  Then  unslinging  the  skin,  which  now 
contained  only  a  small  quantity  of  warm,  stinking 
water,  she  seated  herself,  with  his   head  in  her 


Aycda's  Devotion^  263 

lap,  and  began  to  moisten  his  lips  and  to  bathe 
his  face  and  throat.  Not  a  drop  did  she  drink  her- 
self, though  her  whole  emaciated  frame  quivered 
at  the  touch  of  the  moist  water-skin.  In  a  short 
time  Yorke  began  to  show  signs  of  returning  con- 
sciousness, whereupon  she  poured  a  small  quan- 
tity of  water  into  his  mouth,  which  he  swallowed 
in  spasmodic  gulps.  Presently  he  opened  his 
eyes,  but  lay  a  long  time  looking  up  at  the  beau- 
tiful face  above  him  without  speaking.  At  length 
he  asked,  with  an  effort, — 

"  Did  you  find  them,  sweet  one  ? "  Ay^da 
shook  her  head.  There  was  another  long  silence, 
and  then  the  artist  said, — 

"  Ayeda,  I  am  dying." 

The  girl  tried  to  reply,  but  the  pain  in  her 
contracted  throat  prevented  her  uttering  a  sound. 
At  the  third  attempt  she  said,  in  a  sort  of  hoarse 
whisper, — 

"  Let  not  my  lord  say  so  !  " 

"  Ayeda  !  "  said  Yorke  again,  after  a  pause  dur- 
ing which  he  seemed  to  be  unconscious. 

"  I  am  here,  my  lord." 

"  Did  you  really  leave  your  people,  and  follow 
me  into  this  oven  of  a  place,  to  come  to  my 
help  ?  " 

"  It  is  true,  my  lord." 

"  And  your  people  will  cast  you  out,  and  you 
will  have  no  home  and  no  kindred  ?  " 

"  Even  so,  my  lord." 


264  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

There  was  a  long  silence,  and  then  Yorke  said 
faintly, — 

"  Ay^da ! " 

"  I  listen,  my  lord." 

"  Do  you  love  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord,"  replied  the  girl  simply,  with  a 
smile  that  was  infinitely  tender  and  infinitely 
wan. 

"  If  we  escape  with  our  lives,  will  you  go  with 
me  to  my  own  country,  and  be  my  wife !  "  asked 
the  artist,  taking  the  girl's  small  brown  hand  in 
his  feeble  grasp.  Ay^da  did  not  reply  at  once. 
With  her  other  hand  she  caressed  his  face,  and 
after  some  moments  said  softly, — 

"  I  will  go  with  you,  my  beloved.  Your  peo- 
ple shall  be  my  people,  and  your  tent  my  tent." 

The  exertion  required  for  this  short  conversa- 
tion, and  the  happy  shock  she  had  experienced 
when  Yorke  asked  her  to  be  his  wife,  were  more 
than  the  girl's  little  remaining  strength  could 
support.  She  did  not  faint,  however,  but  sat  a 
long  time  in  a  sort  of  stupor,  only  dimly  realizing 
that  some  great  happiness  had  befallen  her.  She 
was  roused  by  the  young  man's  voice  saying, — 

"Give  me  water,  Ay^da." 

"  It  is  here,  my  beloved,"  she  replied,  pouring 
a  few  drops  from  the  water-skin  into  his  mouth. 

*'  You  must  be  thirsty  yourself,  sweet  one ! 
Quench  your  thirst  before  the  sun  drinks  all  the 
water." 


Ay^da's  Devotion,  265 

"  I  am  not  thirsty,  my  beloved,"  replied  the 
girl,  though  every  word  caused  a  spasm  of  pain 
in  her  dry  throat. 

Hour  after  hour  of  that  dreadful  day  passed, 
and  still  Ayeda  sat  motionless,  but  unconscious 
most  of  the  time,  with  the  young  man's  head  in 
her  lap.  Yorke  did  not  speak  again,  but  gradu- 
ally sank  into  such  a  state  that  the  girl  feared 
more  than  once  that  he  was  dead,  and  was  only 
reassured  by  feeling  the  faint  beating  of  his 
heart.  He  scarcely  breathed,  and  there  was  no 
movement  of  his  black,  swollen  lips.  Around 
them,  beyond  the  shadow  cast  by  the  rock,  the 
plain  glowed  like  a  lake  of  white  lava.  The  heat 
seemed  to  heave  round  them  in  slow  moving 
waves  of  colorless  fire,  but  there  was  nothing  that 
the  wounded  man  and  the  exhausted  girl  could  do 
but  to  sit  still  and  suffer.  The  old  camel  lay 
with  its  neck  and  nose  on  the  ground,  motionless 
but  for  the  occasional  twitching  of  its  thick  lips. 

At  last  the  sun  sank  behind  the  cliffs,  and  it 
was  possible  to  venture  out  into  the  plain. 
Gently  raising  Yorke's  head  from  her  lap  and 
laying  it  on  the  ground,  Ay^^da  rose  to  her  feet, 
lifting  herself  with  the  help  of  her  hands,  and 
looked  despairingly  round ;  but  no  help  was  in 
sight.  She  tried  to  lift  the  young  man  on  to  the 
camel,  but  to  raise  him  from  the  ground  was  now 
quite  beyond  her  strength.  Taking  him  by  the 
shoulders,  she  dragged  him  towards  the  recum- 


^t 


266  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

bent  animal,  and  by  dint  of  repeated  efforts 
managed  to  get  the  apparently  dead  body  of  the 
artist  across  its  back.  Having  succeeded  in  this, 
she  lay  panting  for  a  long  time,  utterly  unable  to 
rise  to  her  feet.  At  length  she  crawled  to  the 
camel's  side,  and  made  Yorke's  limbs  fast  with 
the  rope,  lest  he  should  fall  off.  She  then  tried  to 
give  the  word  to  the  camel  to  rise  but  nothing  but 
inarticulate  clicking  sounds-came  from  her  dry  lips. 
The  obstinate  brute  did  not  move,  and  when  the 
girl  struck  it  with  her  feeble  hands,  it  merely 
turned  its  hideous  head  towards  her  threaten- 
ingly, and  did  not  rise.  Suddenly,  however,  it 
rose  with  ungainly  celerity,  for  Ay^da  had  be- 
thought herself  of  a  little  sharp-pointed  imple- 
ment she  carried,  and  had  stuck  it  up  to  the  head 
in  the  brute's  lean  flank.  Staggering  to  her  feet, 
she  seized  its  rope  bridle,  and  once  more  led  the 
way  towards  the  northern  end  of  the  valley. 

Exhausted  to  the  last  degree,  panting  with  the 
awful  heat,  and  suffering  excruciating  pain  from 
thirst,  the  dying  girl  held  resolutely  on,  though 
she  swayed  like  a  reed  at  every  step.  Her 
wasted  form,  trembling  limbs,  and  hollow  star- 
ing eyes  showed  that  the  end  was  near  at  hand. 
But,  sustained  by  intense  love  for  the  man  who, 
if  they  both  lived,  was  to  be  her  husband,  she 
fought  desperately  against  the  death-swoon 
which  she  felt  was  creeping  over  her.  Suddenly 
she  saw  with    fast-fading  eyes  something  ahead 


Ayeda's  Devotion*  267 

which  caused  her  to  givG  a  choking  cry  of  joy. 
It  was  a  deep  black  rent  in  the  face  of  the  cliff, 
extending  from  its  base  to  its  summit.  She  rec- 
ognized it  to  be  the  mouth  of  the  gorge  by  which 
she  had  descended  into  the  valley. 

The  devoted  love,  courage  and  endurance  that 
had  carried  the  Arab  girl  through  so  many  perils 
and  privations  could  no  longer  support  her.  She 
tottered  on  a  few  paces,  hoping  to  reach  the 
gorge  before  she  dropped,  but  suddenly  her 
strength  failed  her,  and  she  sank  to  the  ground, 
letting  the  camel's  bridle  go  as  she  fell.  The 
brute  did  not  stop,  but  plodded  steadily  on 
towards  the  mouth  of  the  gorge.  Ayeda  looked 
after  it  with  glazing  eyes. 

"  Go  on,  go  on,  O  camel !  Take  my  lord  in 
safety  to  the  monastery  !  "  she  tried  to  cry  after 
the  animal,  but  only  succeeded  in  uttering  a 
series  of  choking  meaningless  sounds. 

Leaning  on  one  arm,  she  watched  the  camel 
till  it  reached  the  Pass  of  Many  Voices,  and  dis- 
appeared into  it  with  Yorke  lying  unconscious 
and  helpless  across  its  back. 

"  O  my  lord  !  O  my  beloved  !  "  cried  Ayeda 
hoarsely,  as  she  fell  forward  dying.  She  lay  still 
for  some  moments,  then  raised  her  head  a  little, 
and  looked  wildly  round.  A  slight  convulsion 
passed  over  her  face,  and  the  next  moment  her 
great  dark  eyes  had  closed  in  death. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 
Lot's  Wife. 

The  last  lingering  gleams  of  sunset  were  dying 
out  of  the  western  sky  when  Aylward  and  Isha 
left  the  cave  in  search  of  Professor  Payne.  The 
silver  glow  in  the  east,  preceding  the  rising  of 
the  moon,  had  not  yet  begun  to  appear,  but  the 
myriads  of  stars  jeweling  the  dark  vault  above 
gave  ample  light.  Every  rock  and  boulder  on 
the  white  waste  round  was  visible  for  a  consider- 
able distance. 

On  leaving  the  cavern  Aylward  stood  irreso- 
lute for  some  moments,  in  doubt  as  to  the  direc- 
tion they  should  take.  Away  to  the  north 
stretched  the  long  lines  of  cliffs,  till  they  were 
lost  in  the  darkness  of  night.  At  the  south  end 
of  the  valley  rose  the  great  fortress-like  rock, 
black  and  awful  in  the  indistinct  light.  Aylward 
determined  to  go  in  its  direction,  thinking  that, 
as  it  was  the  most  prominent  object  in  sight,  it 


Lot's  Wife*  269 

may  have  caught  the  Professor's  eye,  when  he 
wandered  out  of  the  cave  in  his  delirium,  and 
have  attracted  him  towards  it.  He  told  Isha  of 
his  reason  for  going  south  in  their  search,  and 
they  started. 

Walking  side  by  side,  they  skirted  the  base  of 
the  cliffs,  following  the  line  that  seemed  the 
natural  one  for  Professor  Payne  to  take  if  he  had 
gone  in  that  direction.  They  entered  every 
cavern  they  found  in  the  cliffs,  and  peeped  into 
every  fissure  and  crevice  and  behind  every  boul- 
der. Aylward  scrambled  several  times  to  the  top 
of  masses  of  debris  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,- 
and  gazed  anxiously  over  the  plain,  but  nothing 
was  in  sight  but  blocks  of  rock  salt  and  black 
boulders.  He  and  Isha  shouted  frequently  with 
hoarse  and  feeble  voices,  but  no  answering  cry 
came,  not  even  the  echoes  of  their  shouts.  They 
glanced  on  the  ground  constantly  as  they  walked, 
hoping  to  come  on  the  Professor's  footprints, 
but  the  hard  marble-like  plain  showed  no  traces. 

Several  times  during  the  earlier  part  of  the 
night  they  saw  the  mysterious  electrical  light 
which  the  whole  party  had  watched  with  much 
interest  the  night  before.  It  sometimes  floated 
along  the  base  of  the  cliffs  on  the  other  side  of 
the  valley,  but  more  often  they  saw  it  gleaming 
in  the  distance.  Once  it  came  from  behind,  and 
flamed  round  them  so  brilliantly,  that  every 
object  was    as    clearly   visible  as   at    noon-day. 


270  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

Their  hearts  stood  still,  as  the  weird  white  light 
flashed  by,  but  they  felt  no  shock,  and  were  none 
the  worse  for  the  startling  phenomenon. 

Aylward  and  Isha  had  been  on  foot  some  hours 
when  the  moon  rose.  As  soon  as  the  sky  began 
to  lighten  they  stopped  for  a  short  rest.  The  air 
had  by  this  time  become  very  cold,  but  neither 
of  them,  in  their  anxiety,  felt  it  in  the  least. 
They  sat  on  the  salt-encrusted  ground  almost  in 
silence,  for  both  were  impressed  by  a  sense  of 
some  great  calamity  impending  over  them,  and 
moreover  their  contracted  throats  and  dry 
mouths  made  talking  painful.  Aylward  said  a 
few  words  from  time  to  time,  to  encourage  his 
companion,  but  only  half-heartedly,  for  he  had 
too  high  an  opinion  of  her  common-sense  and 
courage,  to  attempt  to  hide  from  her  how  desper- 
ate he  considered  their  position  to  be.  In  his 
heart  he  hoped  that  her  father  had  already  gone 
the  way  which,  he  felt  sure,  the  rest  of  the  party 
would  soon  have  to  follow,  that  she  might  be 
spared  the  anguish  of  seeing  him  die.  Though 
the  girl  said  little,  it  was  obvious  that  she  was 
deeply  distressed.  She  gazed  about  continually 
with  troubled,  anxious  eyes.  Every  now  and 
then  she  fancied  she  saw  something  moving  in 
the  distance,  and  gazed  at  the  object  eagerly, 
only  to  realize,  after  a  few  moments,  that  her 
excited  imagination  had  deceived  her.  Aylward 
observed  her  pale,  agitated  face,  sad,  tearless  eyes, 


Lot's  Wiic  271 

and  twitching  mouth,  with  deep  but  silent  com- 
passion. 

As  they  sat  together  at  the  base  of  the  cliffs 
the  moon  rose  over  the  mountains,  and  shot  her 
silver  beams  into  the  dark  valley.  The  light 
slowly  descended  the  illuminated  face  of  the 
cliffs,  till  it  touched  the  plain,  across  which  it 
began  to  creep.     Aylward  now  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  It  is  time  we  went  on,  Isha,"  he  said. 

He  had  addressed  her  by  her  Christian  name 
quite  unconsciously,  but  the  girl,  though  anxiety 
for  her  father  occupied  her  thoughts  to  the 
exclusion  of  almost  everything  else,  instantly 
noticed  it.  A  flush,  visible  in  the  moonlight, 
crossed  her  face,  as  she  replied  softly, — 

"  I  am  ready,  Hal." 

On  hearing  this  reply,  the  young  man  turned 
quickly,  and  gazed  eagerly  into  the  girl's  face. 
Then  stepping  forward,  he  put  his  arm  round 
her  and  raised  her  to  her  feet,  saying  tenderly, — 

''  Let  us  start,  then,  dear." 

He  did  not  remove  his  arm  from  her  waist, 
and  they  recommenced  their  search,  he  support- 
ing her,  while  she  walked  beside  him  with  her 
arm  over  his  shoulder,  clinging  to  him.  He  did 
not  kiss  her  or  utter  another  word  of  endearment, 
yet  the  young  man  and  maiden  understood  each 
other  perfectly.  They  were  content  to  realize 
that  they  loved  each  other,  and  felt  that  it  was 
no  time  for  protestations  and  caresses. 


272  The  Findings  of  Lot's  Wife. 

Leaving  the  ch'ffs,  they  began  to  cross  the 
moonht  plain  towards  the  great  square  rock  at 
the  end  of  the  valley,  the  frowning  features  of 
which  were  now  visible  in  their  gloomy  grandeur. 
Half  a  mile  of  snowy  salt-waste  stretched  before 
it,  glistening  in  the  moonlight.  They  had  gone 
only  a  few  paces  over  the  soft  crisp  salt  which 
crepitated  under  their  feet,  when  Isha  uttered  a 
little  cry,  for  she  had  caught  sight  of  a  stream  of 
footprints  on  the  white  ground  ahead.  They 
hastened  to  the  spot,  and  saw  that  the  marks 
were  those  they  had  seen  the  previous  day,  at 
the  northern  end  of  the  valley.  The  prints  of 
sandals,  slippers  and  other  foot-coverings  of 
many  shapes  and  sizes,  and  of  naked  feet,  some 
without  toes,  were  clearly  impressed  on  the  salt, 
all  pointing  towards  the  great  rock. 

"  Look,  dear  !  "  exclaimed  Aylward,  pointing 
downwards.  Among  the  stream  of  ancient  foot- 
prints were  the  marks  of  a  pair  of  square-toed 
boots  of  obviously  modern  make.  On  seeing 
them  Isha's  lips  moved  convulsively,  but  she  was 
for  the  moment  too  overcome  to  be  able  to  say  a 
word.  At  length  she  sobbed  out,  "  Thank  God  ! 
oh,  thank  God  !  " 

This  discovery  put  new  life  into  the  pair,  and 
they  hurried  across  the  white  plain,  following  the 
trail.  As  they  neared  the  other  side  they  came 
on  a  long  double  row  of  rocks  piled  on  one  an- 
other  in  such    a   way,  that    they  looked   in   the 


Lot's  Wife*  273 

moonlight  like  mighty  walls  built  by  giants. 
They  walked  up  the  middle  of  this  cyclopean 
street,  following  the  footprints  till  they  came  to  a 
series  of  low  terraces  like  a  titanic  flight  of  steps. 
At  the  top  of  the  terraces  stood  a  strangely- 
shaped  solitary  rock,  looking  like  a  huge  hand 
with  the  forefinger  uplifted  warningly. 

They  were  now  close  to  the  cliff,  and  became 
aware  that  it  overhung  its  base  so  much  as  to 
form  a  stupendous  cavern  below,  the  black  rock- 
roof  of  which  was  many  hundreds  of  feet  high. 
They  saw  that  they  were  actually  within  the 
mighty  cavern,  though  the  base  of  the  cliff  was 
still  distant  two  hundred  paces  or  more.  On 
ascending  the  rock  terraces  they  stopped  at  the 
top  and  looked  eagerly  round,  hoping  to  see  the 
old  man  of  whom  they  were  in  search  standing 
near,  but  saw  nothing  of  him. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  cavern,  in  the  shadow  of 
the  clifT,  was  what  looked  like  the  mouth  of  an 
inner  cave  of  considerable  size.  As  Professor 
Payne  had  certainly  ascended  the  terrace-steps, 
and  was  not  in  the  cavern  under  the  cliff,  it 
seemed  certain  to  Aylward  that  he  must  have 
gone  on  into  the  inner  cave.  He  accordingly 
started  across  the  hard  stone-strewn  floor  of  the 
cavern,  supporting  Isha,  who,  as  she  momentarily 
expected  to  see  her  father,  was  trembling  with 
anxiety.  When  they  had  gone  half  across  the 
cavern  they  simultaneously  stopped    and   gazed 


274  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife^ 

ahead  with  startled  faces.  Lying  on  the  rock- 
floor  all  round  the  mouth  of  the  inner  cave  were 
a  number  of  dark  motionless  objects.  When, 
with  hesitating  steps  and  beating  hearts,  they 
ventured  to  approach  these  objects,  they  found 
them  to  be  dead  bodies.  The  light  was  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  enable  them  to  see  that  they 
were  those  of  men  dressed  in  strange  garments 
such  as  no  human  being  had  worn  for  hundreds 
of  years  past. 

Near  them  lay  a  crusader  in  splendid  armor, 
whose  golden-crested  helmet  and  embossed  cuirass 
and  greaves  glinted  brightly.  Round  him  lay  a 
number  of  men-at-arms,  whose  spears  and  swords 
lay  on  the  rock  beside  them.  All  round  lay 
strangely  clad  corpses,  citizens  of  ancient  Rome 
and  Greece,  in  their  plain  dark  robes  ;  legionaries 
with  shields  on  their  arms,  and  Greek  archers 
bow  in  hand  ;  turbaned  Saracens  grasping  curved 
scimitars ;  Assyrians  in  tasselled  garments,  long 
curled  hair  and  beards  in  cases ;  shaven-headed 
Egyptians  in  semi-transparent  linen  clothes  and 
thin  sandals  with  turned-up  toes ;  Persians  in 
baggy  breeches,  long  coats  and  pointed  hats ; 
Christian  devotees,  long-haired  and  long-bearded, 
some  with  self-mutilated  hands  and  feet,  and  all 
clasping  crosses  to  their  sunken  breasts  ;  Arabs, 
negroes,  and  men  of  many  other  nations,  some  of 
which  had  long  been  extinct.  Scores  of  bodies 
lay  around,  all  sleeping  the  sleep  which  in   the 


Lot's  Wife.  275 

case  of  most  had  already  lasted  centuries.  Not  a 
garment  was  displaced,  not  a  particle  of  dust 
rested  on  any  of  the  motionless  figures,  not  a 
speck  of  rust  dimmed  the  polished  armor  or  the 
arms  lying  on  the  rock.  Each  hollow  mummy 
face  had  the  same  expression  on  it — one  of  over- 
whelming horror  such  as  would  remain  on  the 
faces  of  men  who  had  died  mad  with  terror.  It 
was  a  dreadful  sight,  and  Aylward  and  his  trem- 
bling companion  stood  for  some  moments  look- 
ing on  with  horror  in  their  faces  and  fear  in  their 
hearts. 

*'  Oh,  Hal,  why  should  they  all  have  come  here 
to  die  ?  "  whispered  Isha,  in  terrified  tones. 

"  I  can't  imagine,  dear,"  returned  Aylward, 
also  in  a  whisper.  **  It  is  the  most  awful  sight  I 
ever  saw ! " 

"Oh,  Hal,  where  can  my  father  be?"  wailed 
the  girl. 

"  He  must  be  in  that  cave  yonder,"  replied  Ayl- 
ward, indicating  the  great  black  hole  in  the  cliff- 
wall  before  them  ;  and  then  he  added  hesitatingly, 
glancing  round  with  a  shudder:  "It  may  be 
that  there  is  water  there,  and  that  it  is  poisonous, 
and  that  all  these  men  died  through  drinking  of 
it." 

Isha  uttered  an  exclamation  of  alarm,  and  slip- 
ping out  of  her  lover's  encircling  arm,  hurried 
towards  the  inner  cave.  His  words  had  raised  a 
terrible  fear  in  her  heart  that  her  father,  in  his 


276  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wdc. 

delirium  and  raging  thirst,  might  have  entered  it 
to  drink  of  the  deadly  water  that  was  possibly 
there.  A  prayer  rose  to  her  lips  that  they  might 
not  be  too  late  to  prevent  him  slaking  his  thirst 
at  the  cost  of  his  life.  Aylward  followed  the 
girl,  who,  picking  her  way  through  the  dead 
bodies  which  lay  thickly  round  the  mouth  of  the 
dark  cavity,  entered  it,  crying  aloud, — 

"Father!  father!" 

The  cave  appeared  to  be  about  fifty  feet  high. 
How  far  it  extended  into  the  cliff  could  not  be 
seen,  for  the  end  of  it  was  hidden  in  impenetrable 
darkness.  It  was  bitterly  cold  inside,  like  the  in- 
terior of  an  ice-cave.  Undeterred  by  the  awful 
gloom  and  silence  of  the  place,  and  scarcely 
noticing  the  cold,  Isha  advanced  into  it  a  few 
paces,  followed  by  Aylward,  and  stopped.  She 
stood  straining  her  ears  for  some  sound  indicat- 
ing her  father's  presence,  while  her  companion 
listened  intently,  expecting  to  hear  the  splashing 
or  dripping  of  water.  But  not  the  slightest 
sound  broke  the  death-like  stillness  that  reigned 
around.  Isha  now  ventured  further  into  the 
cave,  feeling  the  way  with  her  feet,  for  the  re- 
flected moonlight  shining  in  at  its  mouth  did  not 
penetrate  far  into  the  darkness.  She  had  just 
cried  again  in  a  loud  whisper,  "  Father!  father!  " 
when  she  became  conscious  that  somebody  or 
something  was  standing  before  her,  dimly  visible 
in  the  semi-darkness.     In  another  moment  she  saw 


Lot's  Wife*  277 

that  it  was  her  father,  and  that  he  was  standing 
motionless  with  his  back  towards  her.  The  girl 
choked  with  joy,  and  was  about  to  spring  for- 
ward to  embrace  him,  when  a  strange  and  terrible 
thing  took  place. 

A  ray  of  what  seemed  to  be  moonlight,  but 
which  was  of  a  more  intense  whiteness,  suddenly 
streamed  into  the  cave.  It  was  a  flash  of  the 
electrical  light  which  they  had  seen  several  times 
that  night.  It  lasted  only  for  a  moment,  but 
for  that  space  of  time  the  whole  cave  was 
brilliantly  illuminated  from  end  to  end.  Aylward 
and  his  companion  saw  that  they  had  penetrated 
nearly  to  the  centre  of  a  great  cavern  of  salt. 
The  floor  was  like  the  purest  alabaster,  and  from 
it  sprang  snow-white  salt  pillars  of  fantastic 
shape,  which  seemed  to  support  the  lofty  white 
roof.  Great  stalactites  of  delicate  beauty  and 
exquisite  purity  hung  from  the  walls.  The  elec- 
trical flash  was  reflected  blindingly  by  millions  of 
salt  crystals  strewn  through  the  cave. 

The  glare  of  light  that  had  illuminated  the 
cave  had  revealed  something  more  than  its  fairy- 
like loveliness.  Isha's  horror-struck  eyes  had 
seen  in  that  momentary  gleam  something  that 
struck  her  motionless  and  speechless  with  fear. 

Standing  in  the  centre  of  the  cave,  on  a  block 
of  marble-like  salt,  was  a  dazzling  white  statue 
so  life-like  in  attitude  and  expression  that  it 
seemed   to  be  moving.     Of   such  blinding  brill- 


278  The  Finding  ^f  Lofs  Wife. 

iancy  was  it  that  no  human  eye  could  gaze  long 
on  it  without  risk  of  loss  of  sight.  It  was  the 
figure  of  a  very  beautiful,  though  not  very  young 
woman,  tall,  and  of  graceful  form.  She  was 
leaning  slightly  forward,  as  if  in  the  act  of  run- 
ning, and  with  her  left  hand  she  was  holding  up 
her  long  tunic,  as  if  to  free  her  shapely  limbs, 
which  were  exposed  up  to  the  knee.  Her  outer 
robe  seemed  to  be  flying  behind  her,  revealing 
beneath  it  the  cincture  confining  her  tunic  below 
the  breasts.  She  wore  a  curious  head-dress  like 
a  tiara,  while  her  throat,  wrists  and  ankles  were 
laden  with  a  profusion  of  barbaric  ornaments. 
Her  bare  right  arm  was  extended  in  an  attitude 
of  fear,  and  she  was  looking  backwards  over  her 
shoulder. 

There  was  an  expression  in  the  marble-white 
face,  a  look  of  immeasurable,  unutterable  horror, 
which  seemed  to  freeze  the  blood  in  Isha's  veins 
as  she  gazed  on  it.  Every  feature  of  the  awful 
face,  its  terror-drawn  muscles,  fixed  staring  eyes 
and  convulsed  mouth,  was  imprinted  on  her 
mind  for  ever.  The  appalling  sight  so  terrified 
her,  that  for  several  seconds  after  the  light  had 
passed  she  stood  as  if  rooted  to  the  spot.  Then, 
forgetful  of  everything  else  in  her  fear,  she 
turned,  and  fled  shrieking  out  of  the  cave. 

On  reaching  its  mouth,  Isha  stopped  and 
glanced  round ;  to  her  unspeakable  dismay,  she 
found  that  her  father  and  her  lover  had  not  fol- 


Lot's  Wife.  279 

lowed  her.  She  stood  listening  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, with  her  white  face  half  turned  towards 
the  outer  cave,  and  her  foot  out,  ready  to  con- 
tinue her  flight.  Not  a  sound  came  from  the 
darkness  within.  Scarcely  able  to  frame  the 
words  from  fear,  she  gasped  out, — 

"  Father,  oh,  father  !  Mr.  Aylward  !  Hal !  " 
No  reply  came  to  her  agonized  cries  and  her 
heart  almost  stopped  beating  as  she  listened 
again.  The  stillness  of  death  reigned  around. 
Again  she  cried  to  her  father  and  to  Aylward,  in 
tones  of  despairing  entreaties,  to  come  out,  but 
no  answer  came.  That  some  terrible  thing  had 
happened  to  them,  she  felt  certain,  nevertheless 
the  devoted  girl  determined  to  return  into  the 
cave,  where  the  awful  thing  stood  in  the  dark- 
ness, in  search  of  the  two  men. 

With  face  distorted  with  fear,  and  wildly 
beating  heart,  she  went  steadily  back  towards 
the  spot  where  she  had  stood  when  she  saw  the 
sight  that  had  so  horrified  her.  As  she  walked 
on  into  the  increasing  darkness,  terror  took  such 
hold  of  her,  that  she  was  about  to  turn  and  flee 
again,  when  she  caught  sight  of  the  two  men  a 
few  feet  before  her,  standing  motionless  as 
statues.  Springing  forward,  she  seized  first  her 
father  and  then  Aylward  by  the  hand,  and  cry- 
ing, "  Come,  come  !  oh,  come  !  "  drew  them 
towards  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  As  they  turned 
to    leave  it,  Isha  saw  that  the  strange   flashing 


28o  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

light  was  again  coming.  A  moment  later  the 
whole  cave  was  brilliantly  lit  up  from  floor  to 
roof,  but  not  for  the  world  would  the  terrified 
girl  have  looked  again  on  the  awful  figure  in  it. 
With  averted  face,  she  dragged  her  two  compan- 
ions out  of  the  darkness  into  the  outer  cavern, 
and  stood  there  panting  with  her  exertions  and 
fear. 

'*  Oh,  Mr.  Aylward,  why  did  you  stay  in  that 
dreadful  place  ? "  she  gasped,  as  soon  as  she 
found  voice  to  speak. 

To  her  surprise  the  young  man  made  no  reply. 

"  Hal !  "  she  whispered,  laying  her  hand  on  his 
arm,  "  did  you  see  that  awful  thing  ?  " 

Aylward  did  not  respond. 

*'  Hal !  Hal !  speak  to  me  !  "  cried  Isha,  now 
greatly  alarmed  at  his  silence,  but  the  young  man 
did  not  say  a -word.  Fearing  she  knew  not  what, 
the  girl  peered  into  his  face.  The  light* was  but 
dim,  but  she  saw  there  a  look  that  it  had  not 
worn  a  few  minutes  before,  a  fixed  stare  of  frozen 
horror.  She  pressed  her  hand  to  her  heart,  and 
for  some  moments  was  unable  to  speak.  She 
then  turned  to  the  Professor. 

"  Father,  dear  !  "  she  said,  quaveringly. 

The  old  man  took  no  notice  of  her,  but  only 
stared  at  her  with  the  same  look  of  intense 
horror  in  his  eyes. 

With  clasped  hands  and  white  face  working 
with  agitation,  Isha  stood  looking  from  one  to 


Lot's  Wife^  281 

the  other  of  her  silent  companions,  then  glanced 
round  her  despairingly  Scores  of  dead  men, 
strangely  clad,  lay  round  her ;  and  it  seemed  to 
her  exyted  imagination,  that  they  were  all  watch- 
ing her  with  their  sunken,  shriveled  eyes.  Sud- 
denly s,hesaw,  with  a  throb  of  pain  that  seemed  to 
pierce  her  heart  like  a  knife,  that  the  expression 
which  now  contorted  the  faces  of  her  father  and 
her  lover,  were  the  same  as  those  on  the  dead 
faces  turned  to  her.  She  realized  at  once  what 
had  happened.  The  awful  white  figure  in  the 
icy-cold  salt  cave  was  Lot's  Wife  !  The  sight  of 
the  dreadful  face  had  deprived  the  two  men  of 
their  reason.  All  the  dead  men  round  her  had, 
doubtless,  centuries  before,  looked  on  the  Wo- 
man of  Salt,  and  had  died  mad  in  consequence. 

Falling  on  her  knees  in  her  despair  and  distress, 
the  girl  prayed  fervently  for  help.  It  was  a 
silent,  wordless  appeal  to  God,  for  in  the  tumult 
of  her  feelings  she  could  not  express  her  helpless 
misery.. >  On  rising  to  her  feet  she  took  her 
father  and  Aylward  by  the  hand,  and  led  them 
out  of  the  great  cavern,  down  the  terrace  steps, 
and  through  the  rows  of  rocks  into  the  plain. 
The  two  men  accompanied  her  unresistingly,  but 
in  silence  and  with  fear-convulsed  faces. 

Isha  now  stopped  to  consider  what  she  should 
do,  but  it  was  some  minutes  before  she  could 
collect  her  thoughts.  The  shock  she  had  received 
by  the  sight  of  Lot's  Wife,  the  awful  calamity 


282  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

which  had  befallen  her  father  and  the  man  who, 
she  knew,  loved  her,  and  the  deadly  peril  they  all 
stood  in,  so  confused  her  that  for  the  time  her 
mind  refused  to  work.  At  length  she  decided 
that  their  only  chance  of  saving  their  lives  was 
to  find  the  gorge  by  which  they  had  entered  the 
Valley  of  Madness.  She  knew  that  it  was  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  valley,  and  accordingly  started 
off  in  that  direction,  leading  the  two  men  by  the 
hand,  as  if  they  were  children. 

The  moon  was  by  this  time  high  in  the 
heavens,  and  its  light  flooded  the  whole  valley. 
They  crossed  the  white  plain,  following  the  track 
of  the  footprints,  and  then  skirted  the  cliffs  on 
the  eastern  side.  They  went  very  slowly,  for  the 
girl  was  exhausted  with  fatigue  and  grief. 

As  they  passed  by  a  mass  of  debris  lying  at 
the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  Isha  saw  something  move 
below  a  shelving  rock.  On  approaching  the 
object,  she  saw,  with  intense  relief  and  deep 
thankfulness,  that  it  was  one  of  the  donkeys 
which  had  strayed  the  night  before ;  the  one 
that  carried  the  water-skin.  The  other  baggage- 
donkey  lay  among  the  rocks,  a  little  further  off. 
Both  were  evidently  dying ;  their  dry  tongues 
were  hanging  out  of  their  leather-like  mouths, 
and  their  eyes  were  glazing.  Leaving  her  com- 
panions, the  girl  turned  towards  the  nearest 
animal,  .and  found  that  the  goat-skin  on  its  back 
still  contained  a  few  mouthfuls  of  water.     With 


Lofs  Wife.  283 

a  sob  of  joy  she  seized  it,  and  hastening  to  her 
father,  held  it  to  his  mouth.  He  drank  mechan- 
ically, but  with  obvious  relief.  She  then  held  it 
to  Aylward's  lips,  and  he  drank  the  remainder, 
gulping  it  down  without  evincing  any  sign  that 
he  was  conscious  of  what  he  was  doing.  Isha 
then  squeezed  a  few  drops  out  of  the  sodden  and 
evil-smelling  skin  into  her  mouth,  and  felt  a  little 
refreshed,  though  her  thirst  was  still  intense. 
Hanging  from  the  other  donkey's  pack-saddle 
was  the  bag  of  dates  which  the  Beni  Azaleh  had 
provided.  With  these  the  girl  fed  her  compan- 
ions as  if  they  were  helpless  children.  She  also 
ate  several  herself,  but  with  difficulty,  her  mouth 
being  so  dry  that  she  could  scarcely  masticate 
them. 

Day  began  to  break  when  they  reached  that 
part  of  the  valley  where  they  had  spent  the  pre- 
vious day.  Isha  soon  found  the  cave  in  which 
they  had  left  Yorke,  and  entered  it  hastily,  to 
see  how  the  young  man  was.  To  her  surprise 
and  dismay,  she  found  it  empty !  Not  only  was 
the  artist  not  there,  but  she  could  not  find  any- 
thing that  gave  the  smallest  clue  as  to  what  had 
become  of  him.  The  blankets  they  had  wrapped 
themselves  in  the  night  before  still  lay  on  the 
floor,  and  near  them  was  the  pencil-note  which 
Aylward  had  left.  The  stone  he  had  placed  on 
it  was  still  there,  showing  that  the  scrap  of  paper 
had  not  been    seen   by  Yorke.     The  girl's   first 


284  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

idea  was  that  some  wild  beast  had  carried  the 
artist  off,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  any  struggle, 
and  she  reflected  that  it  was  improbable  that  any 
animal  could  live  in  that  burning,  waterless 
region.  She  decided  that  he  must  have  wan- 
dered away  either  in  search  of  his  companions,  or 
while  he  was  delirious,  but  felt  utterly  incapable 
of  going  to  look  for  him.  , 

Knowing  that  in  an  hour  or  two  it  would  be 
impossible  for  them  to  continue  their  journey, 
and  being  utterly  worn  out  from  fatigue  and 
want  of  sleep,  Isha  decided  to  spend  the  day  in 
the  cave.  She  led  her  father  and  Aylward  to 
the  dark  end  of  it,  and  after  tying  handkerchiefs 
to  their  wrists  and  securing  the  ends  to  her  own, 
so  that  if  either  of  them  attempted  to  leave  the 
cave  she  would  be  awakened,  she  threw  herself 
on  the  rock-floor,  and  at  once  fell  into  a  sort  of 
swooning  sleep  which  lasted  many  hours. 

It  was  afternoon  when  she  awoke  and  the  in- 
terior of  the  cave  was  like  an  oven.  She  sat  up 
gasping  for  air  and  giddy.  Her  companions  were 
crouching  on  the  floor  beside  her,  like  uncom- 
plaining dumb  animals,  though  the  haggard  look 
on  their  terror-struck  faces  showed  how  keen 
were  their  sufferings.  They  appeared  to  be  as 
unconscious  of  each  other  as  they  were  of  the 
girl  in  whose  care  they  were.  Isha  could  not 
bear  to  look  at  them. 

The  burning  day  at  length  came  to   an  end. 


Lot's  Wife*  285 

and  the  shadows  of  evening  began  to  creep  over 
the  plain,  though  there  v^as  little  abatement  of 
the  heat.  As  soon  as  she  thought  it  safe  to 
venture  out,  Isha,  leading  her  companions  by  the 
hand,  left  the  cave,  and  they  continued  their 
weary  tramp  towards  the  northern  end  of  the 
valley.  As  they  walked  the  girl  glanced  about 
from  time  to  time,  hoping  to  see  Yorke  some- 
where near  or  to  come  on  his  tracks,  but  found 
no  trace  of  him.  They  had  gone  about  half  a 
mile,  when  she  came  across  the  unmistakable 
foot-marks  of  a  camel,  and  beside  them  the 
prints  of  a  small  human  foot.  She  stood  gazing 
at  this  unexpected  sight  for  some  minutes,  trying 
to  think  what  it  meant.  The  thought  that  the 
tracks  of  the  camel  might  lead  to  some  Arab  en- 
campment made  her  heart  bound.  They  led 
northward,  and  Isha,  with  rising  hope,  followed 
them,  half  leading  and  half  dragging  along  her 
companions. 

The  daylight  had  almost  gone  when  Isha,  look- 
ing ahead  eagerly,  saw  something  lying  on  the 
white  surface  of  the  ground  close  to  the  cliffs. 
On  reaching  it  she  saw,  to  her  horror,  that  it  was 
the  body  of  an  Arab  girl.  Uttering  an  exclama- 
tion, she  stooped  and  gently  raised  the  girl,  and 
then  saw,  to  her  intense  surprise  and  dismay,  that 
it  was  Ay^da,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  the 
shiekh  of  the  Beni  Azaleh. 

"  Why  do  you  lie  there,  O  girl  ?     Are  you  ill  ?  " 


286  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

she  asked  in  Arabic,  in  a  trembling  voice.  Ayeda 
made  no  reply,  and  Isha  saw,  with  a  pang  at  her 
heart,  that  she  was  dead.  Life  had  left  the  slen- 
der, graceful  body  but  very  recently,  for  it  was 
still  warm.  For  some  minutes  Isha  stood  gazing 
down  at  the  dead  girl  with  compassionate  but 
tearless  eyes.  Wondering  in  a  vague  dazed  way, 
what  had  brought  the  poor  creature  alone  to  that 
awful  valley,  she  again  took  her  companion's 
hands  and  led  them  on,  following  the  camel's 
tracks. 

She  had  not  gone  three  hundred  paces  further, 
when  suddenly  she  became  aware  that  yawning 
before  her,  in  the  cliff  opposite,  was  the  dark 
lofty  mouth  of  the  Pass  of  Many  Voices.  She 
recognized  at  once  the  narrow  black  rift  in  the 
cliff-wall.  The  surface  of  the  plain  at  this  spot 
was  all  slab  rock-salt,  on  which  the  tracks  of  the 
camel  were  lost,  but  Isha  felt  sure  that  the  animal 
had  made  for  the  gorge,  and  accordingly  went 
straight  towards  the  cliff.  In  a  few  minutes  she 
and  her  companions  were  standing  at  the  entrance 
to  the  dark  defile.  Glancing  up  the  gorge,  now 
steeped  in  impenetrable  darkness,  the  girl  saw 
that  it  would  be  madness  to  attempt  to  ascend  it 
till  daylight  came  again.  There  was  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  stay  where  they  were  for  the  night. 
By  this  time  it  was  very  dark,  and  the  only  light 
in  the  sky  was  that  shed  by  myraids  of  brilliant 
stars. 


Lofs  Wife.  287 

While  Isha  was  looking  for  some  place  where 
they  could  lie  down,  her  eyes  fell  on  a  strangely- 
shaped  object  not  far  off.  On  approaching  it, 
she  saw  that  it  was  the  camel  whose  tracks  she 
had  been  following.  It  was  lying  down,  and  had 
something  on  its  back.  Seized  with  a  sudden 
fear,  Isha  turned  towards  it,  and  saw  that  some 
man  was  lying  like  a  sack  across  the  creature's 
back.  A  moment  later,  she  saw  that  it  was 
Yorke's  apparently  inanimate  body. 

It  wanted  but  this  sight  to  fill  the  unhappy 
girl's  cup  of  trouble  and  sorrow  to  the  brim. 
She  felt  sure  that  the  artist  was  dead,  for  his  jaw 
had  fallen,  his  eyes  were  open,  and  his  tongue 
protruded.  No  tears  came  to  her  eyes,  for  her 
troubles  had  now  passed  the  weeping  stage ;  but 
every  line  of  her  wan-drawn  face  expressed  grief 
and  despair.  She  stood  gazing  at  the  old  camel, 
with  the  motionless  man  on  its  back,  and  at  the 
two  stricken  men  whose  hands  she  held,  with  a 
sharp  pain  at  her  heart,  and  a  sensation  in  her 
throat  which  seemed  to  choke  her.  She  was  so 
stupefied  by  the  shock  of  this  discovery  that  it 
did  not  strike  her  as  strange  that  she  should  find 
the  body  of  the  artist  fastened  to  the  back  of  a 
recumbent  camel,  with  no  one  in  charge,  nor  did 
she  connect  the  Arab  girl  she  had  just  seen  lying 
dead  in  the  plain,  with  the  circumstance. 

Suddenly,  as  she  stood  there,  she  heard  a 
sound  which  caused  her  to  turn  her  head  quickly 


288  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

and  glance  up  the    dark  gorge  with  parted    lips 
and  dilated  eyes. 

It  was  a  loud,  confused  sound,  which  evidently 
came  from  a  great  distance.  Presently,  to  her 
inexpressible  joy,  she  heard  a  human  voice,  and 
then  another,  but  was  not  able  to  distinguish  the 
words  spoken.  The  talking  ceased,  after  a  few 
moments,  and  then  came  through  the  darkness,  a 
deep  clear  musical  voice,  upraised  in  sacred  song. 
It  seemed  to  the  girl's  enraptured  senses  like  the 
hymn  of  a  seraph  singing  in  glory,  yet  the  voice 
seemed  familiar  to  her.  The  unseen  singer  had 
not  concluded  the  first  verse,  before  Isha  knew 
who  he  was.  It  was  Brother  Manon,  chanting 
in  stentorian  tones  a  psalm  in  Greek.  The 
words  came  pealing  down  the  black  gorge,  every 
one  as  distinct  as  if  spoken  at  her  ear. 

"  They  wandered  in  the  wilderness  i7t  a  solitary 
way  ;  they  found  no  place  to  dwell  inT 

"  Hungry  and  thirsty ^  their  soul  fainted  in 
themr 

"  Then  they  cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  troubled 
^^  And  He  delivered  them  out  of  their  distress'' 
"  And  He  led  them  forth  by  the  right  way'' 
"  Oh,    that    men   would  praise   the   Lord  for 
His  goodness." 

^^  And  for  His  wonder ful  works  to  the  children 
of  men." 

Isha  heard  no  more.  She  realized  that  help 
was  at  hand,  and  sank  to  the  ground  fainting. 


CHAPTER  XVm. 
'  The  Pass  of  Many  Voices* 

ISHA  never  knew  how  long  she  lay  uncon- 
scious on  the  ground.  When  her  senses  returned 
to  her,  she  became  aware,  from  sounds  she  heard 
around  her,  that  their  rescuers  had  found  them. 
She  overheard  a  voice  that  she  instantly  recog- 
nized, say  in  tones  of  amazement  and  hor- 
ror,— 

"  Mr.  Ilwud  !  Mr.  Ilwud  !  what  for  you  look- 
ing like  t'at?  You  not  know  me?  Georgis, 
dragoman  !  "  And  then  she  heard  him  ejaculate 
in  Arabic  :  *'  Ya  allah  !  my  master  is  mad  !  " 

Isha  opened  her  eyes  and  made  an  unsuccess- 
ful effort  to  sit  up.  A  man  who,  she  saw,  was 
Brother  Manon,  was  bending  over  her.  He 
carried  a  nearly  burnt-out  torch  in  his  hand,  the 
light  of  which  streamed  over  his  dark,  honest 
face,  which  expressed  concern  and  compassion. 
On  seeing  the  girl  open  her  eyes,  and  the  look  of 


290  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

joy  and  relief  that  came  into  them,  he  smiled 
reassuringly. 

**  Thanks  be  to  God  !  My  lord's  senses  have 
returned  to  him,"  he  exclaimed,  in  his  deep,  clear 
voice. 

"Water!  "  muttered  Isha,  with  dry  lips. 

Brother  Manon  placed  the  torch  he  held  up- 
right in  a  crack  in  the  rocky  ground,  and  pres- 
ently the  girl  felt  her  head  gently  raised,  and  a 
gourd  of  water  put  to  her  lips.  She  drank 
eagerly,  but  before  she  had  satisfied  her  consum- 
ing thirst,  the  monk  took  the  gourd  from  her, 
saying,— 

"  It  is  not  good  to  drink  much  at  first,  my 
lord.  Moreover,  there  is  but  little,  and  we  must 
husband  it." 

Isha  had,  however,  drunk  sufficient  to  relieve 
the  contraction  and  burning  sensation  in  her 
throat,  and  other  painful  effects  of  thirst.  Greatly 
refreshed,  and  feeling  as  if  new  life  had  been 
given  to  her,  she  staggered  to  her  feet.  Brother 
Manon  helping  her.  She  expected  to  find  a 
number  of  monks  from  the  monastery  present, 
but  on  glancing  round,  she  saw  by  the  flickering 
light  of  the  torch-end  burning  on  the  ground, 
that  their  rescuers  consisted  only  of  Brother 
Manon,  Georgis  the  dragoman,  and  Hanna  the 
cook.  The  monk  had  the  gaunt,  haggard  appear- 
ance of  a  man  who  had  been  on  foot  for  several 
days  and  nights.     The  dragoman  did  not  look  so 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voices.  29^ 

fat  and  important  as  usual,  while  the  old  cook's 
face  wore  an  alarmed  expression,  instead  of  its 
ordinary  air  of  peevish  discontent.  Georgis  and 
Hanna  were  staring  affrightedly,  and  in  silence, 
at  their  master,  and  at  Professor  Payne,  who 
gazed  back  at  them  with  horror-filled  unrecogniz- 
ing  eyes. 

Taking  the  gourd  from  Brother  Manon's  hand, 
Isha  tottered  towards  her  father  and  placed  it 
to  his  mouth.  When  he  had  drunk  a  little  of 
the  water,  she  did  the  same  for  Aylward.  The 
two  unfortunate  men  drank  without  showing  any 
sign  of  relief  or  pleasure,  except  that  a  sort  of 
convulsion  seenied  to  seize  them  in  the  throat, 
when  the  water  touched  their  lips. 

"Mister  Art'ur,  w'at  dreadful  t'ing  is  t'is? 
Why  my  master  not  speak  to  me  ?  Why  he 
look  like  one  mad  fellow?"  asked  the  dragoman, 
in  an  awed  whisper. 

"Nay,  my  lord,  do  not  speak,"  interposed 
Brother  Manon.  "  You  are  too  exhausted  and 
ill.  Lie  down  again  and  rest.  We  will  do  what 
we  can  for  my  lords,  your  companions." 

"But  where  Mister  Yok?"  ejaculated  the 
dragoman,  as  if  it  had  suddenly  struck  him  that 
the  artist  was  not  present.  Isha  pointed  towards 
the  spot  where  the  camel  lay,  and  then  overcome 
with  faintness,  sank  to  the  ground,  and  lay  in  a 
semi-conscious  state.  Having  put  a  folded  blan- 
ket   under  the  girl's  head.  Brother  Manon,   fol- 


292  The  Findingf  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

lowed  by  the  other  two  men,  went  in  the  direc- 
tion indicated  by  her,  and  found  the  camel  with 
Yorke  lying  across  its  back.  The  dragoman  and 
cook  loudly  expressed  their  surprise  and  horror 
at  the  position  and  condition  in  which  they  had 
found  the  artist.  The  three  men  unbound  his 
hands  and  feet,  and  taking  the  apparently  dead 
body  off  the  camel,  carried  it  to  where  Isha  lay 
motionless  and  with  closed  eyes.  They  then 
tried  to  restore  the  apparently  dying  man  to 
consciousness,  moistening  his  mouth  and'bathing 
his  face  with  water,  but  their  efforts  were  unsuc- 
cessful. While  they  were  thus  engaged,  the 
torch  went  out. 

When  Isha  awoke  from  the  sleep  of  exhaustion 
into  which  she  had  fallen,  and  sat  up,  pitch  dark- 
ness and  deep  silence  reigned  around  her,  and 
it  was  bitterly  cold.  Startled  at  finding  herself 
alone,  as  she  thought,  she  uttered  a  cry  of  fear. 
She  was  assured  by  hearing  the  voice  of  Brother 
Manon  saying  quietly, — 

"  Be  not  alarmed,  my  lord,  we  are  all  here." 

**  Did  you  bring  no  light?  "  the  girl  asked. 

"  Only  the  torch  I  happened  to  have  with  me, 
and  it  went  out  soon  after  we  found  my  lord. 
There  is  here  no  wood  with  which  we  could  make 
a  fire." 

"What  is  the  hour,  friend  ?  " 

"It  must  be  some  hours  after  midnight;  the 
day  will  dawn  ere  long." 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voices.  293 

"Are  my  father  and  the  other  gentleman  near? 
Are  they  safe  ?  " 

"  They  are  here  and  safe,  my  lord." 

Isha  crept  towards  the  monk  through  the  ebon 
darkness  and  felt  for  her  father's  hand.  She 
found  him  lying  down,  but,  though  she  passed 
her  hand  softly  over  his  face,  could  not  tell 
whether  he  was  sleeping  or  not.  She  then  felt 
timidly  for  Aylward's  hand,  and  took  it,  together 
with  her  father's  hand,  into  her  own.  For  the 
rest  of  that  weary  night  she  sat  clasping  their 
hands,  fearful  lest  either  of  them  should  wander 
away  unseen  in  the  darkness. 

Just  before  daybreak  she  heard  Brother  Manon 
stirring,  and  soon  after  overheard  him  repeating 
his  morning  prayers.  After  going  through  the 
prescribed  offices,  he  prayed  fervently,  but  in  low 
tones,  that  God  would  deliver  them  from  death, 
and  bring  them  safely  out  of  their  troubles.  Isha 
understood  the  words,  and  silently  prayed  with 
him.  When  the  monk  had  finished  his  prayer, 
she  said,  after  a  short  silence, — 

"  Are  you  awake,  friend  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord." 

"Have  you  any  water  left?  I  am  parched 
with  thirst." 

"  There  is  a  portion  remaining,  but  drink  spar- 
ingly, my  lord.  We  shall  have  to  go  through 
much  fatigue  ere  we  reach  the  monastery." 

So  saying,  the  monk  handed  the  girl  the  gourd 


294  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife. 

of  water.  She  drank  only  a  very  little,  and  re~ 
turned  the  vessel  to  him.  He  then  gave  her  a 
handful  of  dried  raisins  and  a  piece  of  barley 
bread,  which  she  ate  with  avidity  on  being  assured 
by  the  monk  that  there  was  more  for  the  others. 

**  It  needs  not  to  ask  what  has  befallen  the  no- 
ble ones,  your  companions,"  observed  Brother 
Manon.  "They  have  doubtless  looked  on  the 
Woman  of  Salt?" 

"  How  know  you  that,  friend?"  asked  Isha,  in 
surprise. 

"  Father  Polycarp  told  me,  on  the  morning  of 
my  arrival  at  the  monastery,  of  this  accursed 
valley,  and  of  the  certain  fate  of  any  man  who 
entered  it  and  looked  on  the  awful  thing  hidden 
of  God  there." 

"  O  brother !  will  my  father  and  his  friend 
never  recover  their  reason  and  speech  ?  "  cried 
the  girl,  despairingly. 

"  Fear  not,  my  lord.  Within  three  days,  if  it 
please  God  to  keep  them  alive  till  then,  your 
father  and  the  other  noble  ones  shall  be  restored 
to  health  of  mind  and  body." 

"But  how,  friend?"  ejaculated  Isha,  filled 
with  hope  and  joy  on  hearing  this  positive  state- 
ment. 

"  There  is,  in  the  church  at  the  monastery,  a 
most  holy  relic,  the  very  touch  of  which  will 
bring  to  his  senses  any  man  who  may  have  been 
struck  mad  at  the  sight  of  Lot's  Wife." 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voices.  295 

"But  I  saw  the  awful  thing  myself!  How 
was  it  that  I  too  did  not  lose  my  senses  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,  my  lord.  Father  Polycarp  said 
that  no  man  could  look  on  the  face  of  the  Woman 
of  Salt  and  retain  his  reason.  But  it  may  be 
that  God,  in  His  mercy  to  your  youth,  spared 
you." 

Brother  Manon  did  not  ask  any  questions  as 
to  all  that  had  befallen  Isha  and  her  companions 
in  the  Valley  of  Madness,  or  evince  any  curiosity 
as  to  the  appearance  of  Lot's  Wife,  thinking 
doubtless  that  it  would  be  sinful  to  discuss  so 
awful  a  mystery. 

"  How  fared  you  in  your  journey  to  Jerusalem, 
friend  ?  "  asked  Isha. 

"  But  badly,  my  lord,"  responded  the  monk. 
''  I  reached  the  Holy  City  on  the  everting  of  the 
third  day,  and  went  forthwith  to  the  house  of 
the  English  consul.  He  was  at  meat  with  his 
friends,  and  sent  word,  when  I  craved  audience 
of  him,  that  he  would  see  me  in  the  morning.  I 
replied  that  the  matter  was  urgent,  and  that  life 
and  death  depended  on  my  seeing  him  at  once. 
Whereupon  he  granted  me  a  hearing,  but  being 
anxious  to  return  to  his  friends,  he  treated  me 
with  scant  courtesy.  When  I  began  to  set  forth 
in  order  all  that  happened,  he  interrupted  me, 
bidding  me  to  be  brief.  As  soon  as  he  under- 
stood the  matter,  he  asked  me  a  number  of  ques- 
tions.    On  my  speaking  of  the  Monastery  of  St. 


296  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife. 

Lot,  and  that  it  was  but  three  days'  journey  dis- 
tant, he  laughed  and  said  that  he  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  it.  When  I  stated  that  I  knew  not  the 
names  of  the  English  gentlemen  who  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Bedawin,  and  that  I  did 
not  bring  any  letter  from  them,  he  refused  to 
hear  me  any  further,  but  bidding  me  apply  to 
the  Pasha  for  help,  left  the  chamber  abruptly  to 
return  to  his  friends.  Whereupon,  I  went  to  the 
Pasha's  palace,  and  after  much  difficulty,  for  I 
had  nothing  wherewith  to  bribe  his  attendants, 
obtained  admission  to  him.  He  heard  what  I 
had  to  say  in  silence,  but  when  I  informed  him 
that  the  armed  men  who  had  seized  the  monas- 
tery and  taken  captive  the  English  travelers 
were  Beni  Azaleh,  he  called  me  '  lying  Christian 
dog!'  for  that  the  Beni  Azaleh  lived  in  the 
Great  Desert  beyond  the  Euphrates.  I  swore  to 
him  by  the  Most  Holy  Name  that  I  spoke  the 
truth,  nevertheless  he  ordered  his  kavasses  to 
drive  out  the  '  mad  monk,'  and  I  was  accordingly 
thrust  out.  Seeing  that  it  was  ordained  of  God 
that  I  should  get  no  help  from  those  in  au- 
thority, I  left  the  Holy  City  to  return  to  the 
monastery.  As  I  neared  my  journey's  end,  at 
sunset  yesterday,  I  met  the  two  men,  your  ser- 
vants,, who  informed  me  of  the  wicked  and  cruel 
act  of  the  Bedawin  in  forcing  their  masters  to 
descend  into  this  accursed  valley.  Whereupon  I 
persuaded    them   to   accompany   me   down    the 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voices*  297 

gorge  to  search  for  you,  bringing  such  food  and 
water  as  we  had.  Praise  be  to  the  God,  the  All- 
merciful,  we  found  you  all  alive." 

Soon  after  Brother  Manon  had  ceased  speak- 
ing, the  first  signs  of  returning  day  appeared. 
It  was  not,  however,  till  some  two  hours  after 
sunrise,  that  sufficient  light  penetrated  the  gorge 
to  enable  them  to  see  their  way.  While  waiting 
for  the  light,  the  monk  and  the  dragoman  dis- 
cussed together  how  Yorke,  who  was  still  un- 
conscious, was  to  be  conveyed  to  the  monastery. 
The  latter  suggested  that  the  camel  on  whose 
back  they  had  found  the  artist  should  be  made 
to  carry  him.  He  went  to  where  the  brute  lay 
with  outstretched  neck,  and  beat  it  unmercifully 
with  its  bridle-rope,  to  make  it  rise,  but  the 
creature  merely  twitched  its  thick  lips  and  rolled 
its  sunken  eyes,  but  did  not  move.  At  length 
the  monk  cried  to  the  dragoman  to  leave  it 
alone,  as  it  was  dying.  He  then  proposed  that 
he  should  himself  carry  the  wounded  man  on  his 
back. 

**  Lack  of  food  and  hard  travel  during  the  past 
few  days  have  taken  some  of  my  strength  from 
me,  but,  with  the  help  of  God,  I  will  carry  the 
gentleman  to  the  monastery,"  he  said. 

Meanwhile  Isha  had  remembered  the  dead 
Arab  girl  lying  on  the  plain,  and  spoke  of  her  to 
Brother  Manon,  who  at  once  went  to  see  the 
corpse.     He  was  much  amazed  and  deeply  grieved 


298  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

to  recognize  it  to  be  the  body  of  the  sheikh's 
daughter  and  the  sister  of  Stephanos,  the  young 
martyr  ;  the  girl  who  had  risked  her  life  to  draw 
him  out  of  the  brine-pit  into  which  he  had  de- 
scended to  save  the  traitorous  ex-monk.  Kneel- 
ing beside  it,  he  fervently  commended  her  soul 
to  God,  and  then,  with  the  help  of  the  dragoman, 
buried  the  body  in  the  salt  soil. 

On  their  return  to  the  gorge  Georgis  and 
Hanna,  assisted  feebly  by  Isha,  lifted  the  uncon- 
scious body  of  the  artist  on  to  Brother  Manon's 
broad  shoulders,  and  they  started.  Isha  led  her 
father  by  the  hand,  followed  by  the  dragoman 
leading  Aylward,  while  the  cook  brought  up  the 
rear,  carrying  their  scanty  supply  of  food  and 
water. 

The  descent  into  the  awful  valley  they  were 
now  leaving  had  been  difficult  enough,  but  the 
ascent  of  the  pass  was  more  fatiguing.  The 
brawny  monk  led  the  way,  carrying  Yorke.  He 
went  resolutely  on  and  up  in  silence,  but  his 
straining  muscles  and  labored  breathing,  told 
how  severe  was  the  task  he  had  undertaken.  It 
was  well  that  the  artist  was  of  slight  build,  and 
much  reduced  by  his  illness,  or  Brother  Manon's 
task  would  have  been  an  impossible  one.  The 
perspiration  streamed  down  the  dragoman's  fat 
face,  but  he  did  not  grumble,  though  he  panted 
and  puffed  lustily.  Only  once  did  he  open  his 
mouth,  to  exclaim  dolefully,  "  Verily,  this  is  the 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voices*  299 

road  of  the  sweater!"  He  was  unremitting  in 
his  attentions  to  his  stricken  master,  never  letting 
go  of  his  hand,  and  helping  him  gently  over  the 
rough  places.  The  cook  followed,  muttering  to 
himself,  and  then  listening  shudderingly  to  the 
echoes  of  his  murmurs. 

For  several  hours  they  made  their  toilsome 
way  up  the  gloomy  ravine,  stopping  frequently 
to  rest.  At  length  Isha,  who  was  on  the  verge 
of  swooning  again  from  exhaustion,  cried  to 
Brother  Manon  that  she  could  go  no  further. 
The  party  accordingly  halted,  and  throwing 
themselves  on  the  rough  path,  stretched  out  their 
aching  limbs.  When  they  had  rested  a  little,  each 
of  them  drank  a  mouthful  of  water  and  swallowed 
a  little  of  the  dry  food  they  had,  after  attending 
to  the  wants  of  the  three  helpless  men.  They 
continued  their  journey  in  the  afternoon,  and  by 
nightfall  had  ascended  half-way  up  the  pass. 
As  soon  as  darkness  came  on  they  stopped  for 
the  night. 

The  twelve  hours  of  darkness  that  followed, 
were  to  Isha  the  most  dreary  and  unhappy  that 
she  had  ever  passed.  She  could  not  sleep,  but 
lay  awake  watching  her  father  and  Aylward, 
whom,  at  her  suggestion,  her  companions  had 
secured  with  the  camel-rope,  to  prevent  their 
wandering  away  during  the  night.  Hour  after 
hour  passed  in  total  darkness,  but  not  in  silence, 
for  the   gorge   was   filled   with    the   thunderous 


300  The  Finding  of  Lot^s  Wife. 

echoes  of  the  dragoman's  snores  and  the  old 
cook's  nervous  coughs.  About  midnight,  Isha 
was  startled  by  hearing  a  faint  voice  say, — 

"  Hal ! " 

*'Did  you  call,  Mr.  Yorke  ?"  she  asked,  for  she 
recognized  the  voice. 

"  Is  that — you.  Miss  Payne  ?  Where — are  we  ? 
Are  we  still  in  that — awful  valley?" 

"  No,  Mr.  Yorke,  we  are  on  our  way  back  to 
the  monastery,  and  we  camped  for  the  night  in 
the  ravine  by  which  we  descended  to  the  valley." 

'' Is  Ay^da— all  right?" 

Isha  knew  that  it  would  distress  the  young 
man  deeply  to  hear  the  girl  was  dead,  and  was 
thinking  how  she  could  best  tell  him,  when  he 
spoke  again. 

"You  know — whom  I  mean — don't  you,  Miss 
Payne?  Ay^da — the  Beni  Azaleh  girl — who 
came  to  the  valley — all  alone — with  a  camel — to 
look  for  me  ?  " 

"  She  is  not  here,  Mr.  Yorke,  "  replied  Isha, 
gently. 

"  My  God  !— don't  tell  me  she's  dead  !  "  ex- 
claimed Yorke.  Isha  did  not  reply,  and  there 
was  silence  for  a  long  time.  She  thought  that  he 
had  relapsed  into  unconsciousness,  but  presently 
she  heard  him  cry  again,  "  Hal !  "  Not  receiving 
any  reply,  the  young  man  cried  out  again  in  a 
broken  voice, — 

"  Hal !  Hal !  are  you  dead,  too  ?  " 


The  Pass  of  Many  Voicesl   .^\V^°^ 

"  No,  Mr.  Yorke,  Mr.  Aylward  is  here,  but  he 
is — asleep,"  said  Isha,  chokingly. 

There  was  another  long  period  of  silence,  and 
then  the  artist  began  to  talk  again,  but  was  obvi- 
ously delirious.  He  evidently  fancied,  from  the 
noise  of  the  echoes,  that  he  was  in  the  camp  of 
the  Beni  Azaleh.  He  called  out  his  friend's 
name  several  times,  and  spoke  as  if  answering 
questions  from  him.  But  it  was  the  name  of  the 
dead  Arab  girl  which  was  on  his  lips  most  in  his 
delirium.  He  murmured  continually  words  of 
admiration  and  praise  in  Arabic,  but  sometimes 
in  English.  Such  expressions  as  "  O  pearl  of 
beauty  !  "  '^  O  gazelle-eyed  !  "  ''Sweet  one  !  " 
"  Brave  girl !  "  were  repeated  over  and  over  again, 
till  the  echoing  gorge  seemed  to  be  full  of  whis- 
pering lovers.  Isha  listened  with  tears  in  her 
eyes.  She  understood  now  why  the  sheikh's 
daughter  had  left  her  tribe  and  had  descended 
alone  into  the  burning  valley  ;  that  it  was  love  for 
the  man  who  now  lay  murmuring  her  name  un- 
consciously which  had  made  her  come  in  search 
of  him  and  give  her  life  for  his. 

The  wearied  girl  had  begun  to  think  that  the 
sun  would  never  rise  again,  when  the  gradual 
lightening  of  the  gloomy  defile  told  her  that  the 
day  had  broken.  She  roused  her  companions, 
and  they  continued  their  weary  climb,  but  it  was 
not  till  late  in  the  afternoon  that  they  reached 
the    top   of   the   ravine.     Several  times  Brother 


302  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

Manon,  with  Yorke  on  his  back,  stopped  as  if  he 
could  go  no  further,  his  face  haggard,  his  eyes 
glaring,  and  foam  on  his  lips,  but  on  each  occa- 
sion he  had  started  again  and  gone  doggedly  on 
in  silence.  Professor  Payne  and  Aylward  did  not 
show  much  sign  of  distress.  It  seemed  as  if 
strength  of  body  had  been  given  to  them  in  place 
of  their  lost  mental  faculties.  So  exhausted  was 
Isha  that  the  last  few  hours  they  spent  in  the 
gorge  passed  like  a  fever-dream,  and  when  at 
length  they  emerged  into  the  blazing  sunlight  of 
the  wadi  above,  she  stood  for  some  time  gazing 
round  with  expressionless  face,  not  realizing  that 
they  were  out  of  the  dark,  echo-haunted  pass  at 
last.  A  sound  in  the  distance  restored  her  wan- 
dering senses  to  her.  It  was  the  clanging  of  the 
semandron  at  the  Monastery  of  St.  Lot,  and^it 
seemed  to  the  wearied  girl  the  sweetest  music  she 
had  ever  heard. 

After  a  short  rest,  they  went  up  the  arid 
stony  wadi,  the  monk  still  carrying  Yorke,  and 
the  rest  following  with  staggering  steps  and 
hanging  heads.  The  sun  was  just  setting  when 
the  party  came  in  sight  of  the  monastery. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  Miracle. 

"  Praise  be  to  God,  the  Gracious,  the  Merci- 
ful, that  He  has  brought  us  on  our  way  in  safety 
so  far  !  "  panted  Brother  Manon,  gently  deposit- 
ing his  unconscious  burden  on  the  ground. 

"  By  God,  we  have  come  out  of  hell,"  exclaimed 
the  dragoman,  wiping  his  streaming  face. 

"  Verily,  I  would  not  go  again  there,  though  I 
were  offered  a  mountain  of  gold,"  squeaked  the 
cook. 

The  party  stopped  a  few  minutes  to  rest,  and 
Isha,  reclining  on  the  hot  sand,  feasted  her  eyes 
on  the  distant  monastery.  Ecstatic  visions  of 
soft  beds,  cold  water,  sweet  fruit,  and  cool  breezes 
filled  her  mind.  If  she  could  only  have  felt  con- 
fidence in  Brother  Manon's  positive  assurance 
that  her  father,  her  lover,  and  his  friend  would  be 
restored  to  their  health  and  senses  in  a  few  days, 
she  would    have   been  perfectly  happy.     Mean- 


304  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife, 

while  it  was  bliss  unspeakable  to  have  escaped 
with  their  lives  from  the  Valley  of  Madness  and 
to  be  in  sight  of  the  hospitable  monastery. 

The  crimson  glory  of  sunset  was  streaming 
over  the  great  solitary  rock,  making  it  look  like 
a  gigantic  pillar  of  carnelian.  The  red  roofs  of 
the  buildings  crowning  it  glowed  as  if  red  hot, 
and  the  white-washed  walls  were  tinted  with  a 
pink  flush.  The  rock  stood  out  in  sharp  relief 
against  the  mountains  beyond,  buried  in  purple 
shadow.  All  round  lay  the  salt-encrusted  plain, 
over  which  night  was  creeping. 

As  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  attempt  to 
cross  the  plain  in  the  dark,  in  consequence  of  the 
numerous  bitumen-pits  and  brine-wells  that  cov- 
ered its  surface.  Brother  Manon  advised,  after  a 
very  short  rest,  that  they  should  try  to  reach  the 
monastery  before  darkness  came  on.  They 
accordingly  pushed  on,  the  monk  leading  the 
way  across  the  treacherous  ground  unerringly; 
nevertheless,  they  did  not  reach  the  foot  of  the 
rock  till  two  hours  after  sunset.  It  was  a  long 
time  before  they  succeeded  in  attracting  the 
attention  of  the  monks  above,  though  Brother 
Manon  shouted  in  his  stentorian  voice  so  power- 
fully that  the  dark  mountains  round  echoed 
his  cries.  The  dragoman  and  cook  were  too  ex- 
hausted to  give  any  assistance  in  rousing  the 
monks,  and  they  had  all  begun  to  think  that  they 
would  have  to  stay  where  they  were  till  the  morn- 


A  Miracle*  305 

ing,  when  they  heard  the  trap-door  in  the  wind- 
lass-tower above  open,  and  a  voice  that  said  in 
Greek, — 

"Who  calls  below?" 

**  It  is  I,  Brother  Manon,  and  with  me  are  the 
English  travelers  and  their  servants." 

"Welcome,  brother,  welcome!"  returned  the 
voice,  joyfully.  "  I  will  rouse  Father  Polycarp 
and  the  brethren,  and  will  hasten  back  to  let  the 
rope  down  to  you." 

Some  minutes'  silence  followed,  and  then  the 
voice  of  the  hegoumenos  was  heard  from  the 
windlass-tower. 

"  My  son  Manon,  are  you  there  ?  " 

"  I  am  in  truth.  Father." 

"  God  be  thanked,  that  you  have  returned  to 
us  !     Who  are  with  you,  my  son  ?  " 

"  The  English  travelers.  Father,  who  were  car- 
ried away  from  the  monastery  by  the  Bedawin. 
Three  of  them  are  in  evil  case  and  helpless. 
Their  two  servants  are  also  here." 

"  We  will  lower  the  rope,  my  son.  Send  the 
sick  men  up  first,  that  they  may  be  attended  to 
with  all  speed." 

There  was  a  loud  creaking  sound,  and  pres- 
ently the  rope  appeared,  twining  and  twisting 
above  them,  looking  in  the  starlight  like  a  huge 
writhing  snake.  Yorke  was  sent  up  first.  He 
was  unconscious,  and  lay  so  still  and  silent,  as 
they  put  him  into  the  net  to  be  hauled  up,  that 


3o6  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

they  feared  for  the  moment  that  he  was  dead. 
Professor  Payne  was  taken  up  next,  and  was 
followed  by  Aylward.  Neither  of  the  two  men 
gave  the  smallest  trouble,  but  behaved  like  obe- 
dient dumb  children. 

Isha  on  being  drawn  up  into  the  windlass- 
tower  found  all  the  monks  assembled,  several  of 
them  carrying  lighted  tapers.  Three  of  them, 
one  of  whom  was  the  monastery  leech,  were  busy 
attending  to  Yorke,  who  lay  on  the  floor.  Sev- 
eral others  were  holding  her  father  and  her  lover 
by  the  hand,  speaking  to  them  kindly  and  encour- 
agingly, but  receiving  no  reply  or  sign  of  recog- 
nition from  them.  The  hegoumenos  welcomed 
Isha  gravely,  and  congratulated  her  on  her  return 
to  the  monastery  in  safety  and  in  health  of  body 
and  mind.  Neither  he  nor  any  of  the  monks 
asked  any  question  of  her  as  to  what  had 
happened  to  her  companions.  They  seemed, 
from  the  expression  of  their  faces  and  their 
attentions  to  the  stricken  men,  to  be  perfectly 
aware  what  had  caused  them  to  lose  their 
reason. 

The  dragoman  and  the  cook,  both  in  deadly 
fear  of  the  rope  breaking,  or  other  accident  hap- 
pening, were  hauled  up  next.  They  were  kindly 
received  by  the  monks  to  their  evident  relief  and 
satisfaction.  They  had  been  very  apprehensive 
as  to  the  reception  they  might  receive,  fearing 
that  the  brethren  might  have   heard  how  they 


A  Miracle*  •      3^7 

had  denied  the  Christian  Faith  in  order  to  save 
their  Hves.  They  soon  saw  that  the  good  men 
were  ignorant  of  their  apostasy,  and  the  fright- 
ened, sheepish  looks  left  their  faces. 

When  Brother  Manon  was  drawn  up  last  of  all. 
Father  Polycarp  clasped  him  in  his  arms  and 
blessed  him,  and  all  the  monks  embraced  and 
kissed  him,  weeping  tears  of  joy  at  his  return. 
Seeing  that  he  was  scarcely  able  to  stand  from 
fatigue,  two  of  them  seized  him  by  the  arms,  and 
led  him  away,  staggering  at  every  step.  Yorke 
was  then,  by  order  of  the  hegoumenos,  carried 
to  the  sick-chamber  where  Brother  Luke,  the 
leech,  watched  and  prayed  over  him  the  rest  of 
the  night,  for  the  artist  seemed  to  be  in  a  dying 
condition.  Isha,  her  father,  and  Aylward  were 
bestowed  in  the  chamber  that  had  been  occupied 
before  by  the  two  young  Englishmen.  The  hole 
in  the  roof  through  which  Brother  Manon  had 
escaped,  when  the  monastery  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Beni  Azaleh,  was  still  there.  Food  and 
water  were  brought  to  them,  but  the  monks 
would  allow  them  to  eat  and  drink  very  small 
quantities  at  a  time.  The  dragoman  and  the 
cook  were  hospitably  looked  after  in  another  part 
of  the  monastery. 

The  whole  of  the  next  day,  Isha  lay  dozing  on 
the  carpet,  on  which  she  had  thrown  herself 
when  brought  to  the  chamber.  She  only  sat  up 
to  partake  of  the  food  and  drink  brought  to  her, 


3o8  The  Finding:  of  Lot^s  Wife. 

and  even  then  was  scarcely  conscious  of  what 
she  was  doing.  She  was  so  stiff  that  she  could 
only  with  difficulty  bend  her  limbs,  and  she  felt 
racking  pains  in  every  joint.  Now  that  all  dan- 
ger was  past,  and  she  and  her  companions  were 
in  safety,  she  was  in  a  state  of  collapse,  from 
which  only  perfect  rest  and  careful  nursing  could 
rouse  her.  She  was  quite  unable  to  do  anything 
for  the  sick  men,  much  to  her  distress.  The 
dragoman  and  the  cook  were,  however,  unwearied 
in  their  attendance  on  all  of  them,  thereby  earn- 
ing the  girl's  deep  gratitude. 

About  midnight  Isha  was  roused  by  the  un- 
ceremonious entrance  of  the  dragoman  into  the 
chamber,  carrying  a  lighted  candle. 

"  Mister  Art'ur!"  he  exclaimed  in  an  impres- 
sive voice,  addressing  her.  "  The  'oly  monks  are 
going  to  make  miracle  now,  to  make  the  effendi 
your  father  and  my  masters  well !  " 

The  girl  sat  up  and  gazed  at  him  for  some 
time,  not  understanding  for  the  moment  what  he 
meant.  The  dragoman  saw  this,  and  proceeded 
to  explain  that  the  hegoumenos  and  his  monks 
had  come  in  order  to  carry  the  two  demented 
men  to  the  church,  where  a  religious  ceremony 
was  to  be  performed  which  would  restore  them 
to  their  senses. 

'*  The  monks  got  something  in  the  church,  I  not 
know  what  'xackly,  but  most  'oly  t'ing.  After 
saying  prayers  to   God  they  touch  my  masters 


A  Miracle*  3^9 

and  the  effendi  with  the  t'ing,  and  lo-an'-be'old 
they  get  quite  well  and  talk,"  he  said. 

"  Oh,  Georgis  !  do  you  think  they  really  can  do 
this?"  exclaimed  Isha,  remembering  Brother 
Manon's  assurances.  A  thrill  of  joy  and  hope 
that  seemed  to  clear  her  fatigued,  dulled  mind, 
and  to  take  the  pain  and  stiffness  out  of  her 
limbs,  ran  through  her  at  the  thought. 

"  Oh,  yes,  quite  true.  Mister  Art'ur,  T'ese 
monks  wonderful  men,  can  do  miracles  or  any- 
t'ing,"  asserted  the  dragoman. 

''  I  pray  God  it  may  be  as  you  say,  Georgis ; 
but — but  I  am  so  afraid  that  my  dear  father  will 
never  recover  his  reason." 

"  You  not  'fraid.  Mister  Art'ur.  T'is  place 
different  from  any  ot'er  place  in  the  'ole  world. 
The  monks  make  the  effendi  well,  never  fear." 

Having  roused  Professor  Payne  and  Aylward, 
who  rose  obediently  and  in  silence,  the  drago- 
man took  the  latter  by  the  hand  and  led  him 
from  the  chamber,  after  requesting  Isha  to  follow 
with  her  father.  Outside  they  found  the  hegou- 
menos  and  all  the  monks  awaiting,  each  man 
holding  a  lighted  taper  in  his  hand.  On  an  ex- 
temporized couch  lay  the  unconscious  body  of 
Yorke,  borne  by  four  of  the  brethren.  The 
whole  party  then  went  in  procession  to  the 
church,  headed  by  Father  Polycarp,  behind 
whom  came  the  four  monks  carrying  Yorke, 
followed  by  Isha  and  the  dragoman  leading  the 


3IO  The  Finding  of  Lot's  Wife* 

Professor  and  Aylward.  Brother  Manon  was 
present,  and  his  magnificent  voice  led  the  chant 
that  was  raised  by  the  monks  as  they  walked 
slowly  through  the  moonlit  courtyard  and  along 
the  cloisters  and  corridors  of  the  monastery. 

The  light  of  the  numerous  lamps,  with  which 
the  church  had  been  brilliantly  illuminated, 
streamed  out  of  the  great  doors  as  they  entered. 
The  iconostasis  had  been  removed  from  before 
the  apse.  The  altar  was  ablaze  with  lights,  and 
on  it  were  displayed  all  the  sacred  relics  and 
vessels.  The  icons,  or  holy  pictures,  had  been 
taken  from  the  walls  of  the  church  and  hung  up 
behind  the  altar.  The  glittering  of  the  jeweled 
reliquary,  the  gleaming  of  the  gilded  icons  and 
pohshed  vessels,  and  the  gorgeous  colors  of  the 
silken  altar-cloth  and  hangings  combined  to  make 
a  dazzling  picture. 

The  monks  bearing  the  litter  on  which  Yorke 
lay,  placed  it  before  the  altar,  and  Isha,  still  hold- 
ing her  father's  hand,  and  the  dragoman,  grasping 
his  master's,  were  directed  to  stand  beside  it. 
The  monks,  holding  tapers,  took  up  their  posi- 
tions in  two  rows  on  either  side.  The  hegoume- 
nos  retired  into  a  dark  recess  at  the  back  of  the 
apse,  but  returned  in  a  few  minutes  arrayed  in 
resplendent  vestments,  and  the  midnight  service 
began. 

Isha  never  had  any  clear  idea  of  what  followed. 
Her  limbs  ached  so,  and  she  felt  so  ill  and  weak, 


A  Miracle*  311 

that  she  was  scarcely  able  to  stand.  The  hope 
that  the  solemn  appeal  to  God,  that  was  evi- 
dently being  made,  would  result  in  her  father,  her 
lover  and  his  friend  being  restored  to  health  and 
sanity  sustained  her.  She  watched  all  that  went 
on  as  well  as  her  fading  eyes  and  dulled  brain 
would  permit  her.  The  loud  chanting  of  the 
monks,  echoing  through  the  crypt-like  church, 
filled  her  ears  like  the  rolling  of  drums.  She 
could  distinguish,  however,  the  deep  bass  voice 
of  Brother  Manon,  and  the  droning  of  the 
hegoumenos  intoning  the  Greek  prayers  in  the 
intervals  of  the  psalmody.  She  could  see  the 
monks  moving  about  in  the  procession  during 
the  service,  kissing  the  icons  and  relics,  swinging 
shining  censers,  and  bowing  and  prostrating 
themselves  every  minute.  The  church  was  full 
of  Mense  clouds  of  incense,  through  which  the 
light  of  the  colored  lamps  hanging  from  the  roof, 
of  the  candles  on  the  altar,  and  of  the  tapers 
carried  by  the  monks,  shone  mistily. 

Presently  Isha  became  aware  that  all  sound 
and  movement  in  the  church  had  suddenly 
ceased,  and  looked  eagerly  round,  for  she  saw 
that  the  supreme  moment  had  come.  The 
monks  had  all  prostrated  themselves  with  their 
faces  to  the  altar,  before  which  lay  the  hegoume- 
nos at  full  length,  with  his  hands  in  the  attitude 
of  prayer  outstretched  before  him.  For  a  long 
time,  as  it  seemed  to  the  expectant  girl,  who  was 


312  The  Finding:  of  Lot's  Wife* 

trembling  from  head  to  foot,  a  deep,  solemn 
silence  reigned  through  the  church.  Then  she 
saw  Father  Polycarp  rise  slowly,  and  bow  many 
times  before  the  altar,  the  monks  meanwhile 
lying  with  their  faces  to  the  floor.  Ascending 
the  steps  to  the  altar  in  bent  reverential  attitude, 
the  hegoumenos  took  out  of  a  beautiful  golden 
case,  swathed  in  silken  wrappings,  a  long  black 
staff.  Having  kissed  it  with  a  face  full  of  awe, 
he  turned,  and  held  it  aloft  with  both  hands. 
Isha  with  dilated  eyes  saw  him  descend  the 
altar-steps,  and  advance  slowly  towards  them. 
She  saw  him  touch,  with  the  end  of  the  staff,  the 
breast  of  the  unconscious  man  lying  on  the 
litter,  and  then  she  wanted  to  cry  out,  but  could 
not,  for  the  artist's  eyes  had  opened  and  the 
color  had  returned  to  his  white  face  !  The  next 
moment  the  heart  of  the  trembling  girl  stood 
still ;  for  Father  Polycarp,  bearing  aloft  the 
sacred  relic,  was  approaching  her.  With  the  tip 
of  the  staff,  he  gently  touched  her  father  on  the 
forehead.  In  an  instant  the  look  of  ghastly 
horror  on  the  old  savant's  face  disappeared,  and 
he  glanced  round  with  an  air  of  surprise,  and 
began  to  fumble  for  his  spectacles.  The  hegou- 
menos then  turned  to  touch  Aylward.  The 
dragoman  had  let  go  his  master's  hand,  and  was 
groveling  on  the  floor,  filled  with  amazement 
and  terror  at  what  he  had  seen.  So  great  was 
Isha's  anxiety  and  excitement,  that  every  muscle 


A  Miracle*  3^3 

and  sense  seemed  to  be  paralyzed.  Only  her 
sense  of  hearing  seemed  to  be  left  to  her.  There 
was  a  short  agonizing  silence,  and  then  the 
quivering  girl  heard  a  voice  say, — 

''  Good  heavens,  Professor  !  where  are  we  ?  " 
And  then  a  whisper, — 

"  Isha,  my  darling  !  What  does  all  this  mean  ? 
How  did  we  get  here  ? — Help,  Professor !  help, 
Noel !  she's  fainting  !  " 

^  *  *  ^  * 

It  was  the  Private  View  at  the  Royal  Acad- 
emy. 

A  small  crowd  was  assembled  before  a  painting 
hanging  on  the  line  in  the  principal  room,  which 
promised  to  be  the  picture  of  the  year.  It  repre- 
sented a  beautiful  Arab  girl  milking  a  she-camel 
in  a  Bedawin  camp  in  the  early  morning.  It  was 
exquisitely  painted,  the  graceful  figure  of  the 
girl  contrasting  with  the  ungainly  camel,  and  its 
still  more  ungainly  foal  standing  by,  all  legs  and 
eyes.  Behind  the  black  tents  rose  the  arid 
mountains  tinged  rose-pink  by  the  rising  sun. 
The  girl  was  the  only  figure  on  the  canvas.  She 
was  looking  over  her  shoulder,  smiling  at  some- 
body or  something  not  appearing  in  the  compo- 
sition. It  was  a  picture  that  caught  and  charmed 
the  eye  at  once,  and  exclamations  of  admiration 
and  pleasure  rose  from  the  crowd  before  it. 

Presently  a  tall  young  man,  with  sunburnt 
face,  and  drooping  moustaches,  accompanied  by 


314  The  Findingf  of  Lot^s  Wife* 

a  pretty  grey-eyed  young  lady,  and  followed  by 
a  slight-built,  learned-looking  old  man  in  specta- 
cles, came  into  the  room.  A  fat,  dark-faced  man 
in  semi-Asiatic  costume  was  in  attendance  on 
them.  The  party  made  its  way  through  the 
crowd  to  the  picture  which  was  attracting  so 
much  notice.  It  was  evident  that  they  had  seen 
it  before. 

''  It  seems  to  me  more  beautiful  every  time  I 
see  it !  "  remarked  the  young  lady,  after  they  had 
stood  in  silence  before  it  for  a  few  moments. 

"  Poor  girl !  "  said  the  young  man,  gazing  at  the 
lovely  figure  in  the  picture. 

*' And  poor  Noel — he  will  never  forget  her,  " 
added  the  young  lady. 

"What  for  Mister  Yok  painting  t'is  fool-pic- 
ture— common  Arab  girl  milking  one  camel?" 
muttered  their  Asiatic  attendant,  contemptu- 
ously. 


THE  END 


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